Driving School Licences

The City must licence all driving schools located in Oshawa. Additionally, all driving instructors operating within the boundaries of the City must also have a licence.

This licensing system has created a “Prohibited Area” where no driving school vehicles may operate except for:

picking up or dropping off a student that resides in the Prohibited Area
using the driving school vehicle for a road test

This prohibited area, depicted in the Prohibited Area for Driving School Instructors Map, includes the following boundaries:

Adelaide Ave. W.
Adelaide Ave. E.
Ritson Rd. N.
Ritson Rd. S.
Bloor St. E.
Bloor St. W.
Thornton Rd. S
Thornton Rd. N.

The introduction of the Licensing System and Restricted Area Standards in Oshawa will assist in creating a safer and less congested driver education environment in the neighbourhoods near the Oshawa DriveTest Centre and along DriveTest Centre testing routes. These standards and regulations apply only to driving schools and not to unofficial driving instruction by family and friends.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why did the City licence driving schools and instructors?

In June 2017, City Council directed staff to investigate and create a licensing system for driving schools and instructors operating in Oshawa. The result of this investigation is Report CORP-17-80.

Development of the City's Driving School Licensing System included municipal comparator research, community input, and as a response to community member complaints and:

addresses the issue of intensified use of local roads by driving school instructors and related safety issues for the public and Oshawa neighbourhoods,
aligns with and supports the provincial Driving School and Instructor Licensing System

Who needs a licence?

All driving schools with a physical business location within Oshawa must be licensed under Schedule "Q" of the Licensing By-law 120-2005. If a driving school's storefront is not located in Oshawa, a driving school licence is not required, however, their instructors must have valid Oshawa licences.

All driving school instructors who operate in Oshawa need a licence, even if their driving school is located outside of the City.

For example:
Suppose a driving instructor and their vehicle enter into Oshawa to bring students to the DriveTest Centre to complete a road test. In that case the driving instructor is operating in Oshawa and does require a licence.

How can I get a licence?

Please see the Driving School Services Section on our Business Licences and Permits page for detailed application information.

Please contact the Licensing Department if you have any questions. You can call them at 905-436-3311 ext. 2428 or by email to [email protected].

Are there areas of the City where driving instructors are prohibited from operating?

Yes. Licensed driving instructors cannot operate on Municipal property or within the Prohibited Area for Driving School Instructors.

I live within the Prohibited Area. Is my driving instructor not able to pick me up?

Your driving instructor can still pick you up at the start of your lesson and drop you off at home at the end. The only change is that you must wait until the vehicle is outside of the Prohibited Area to start driving instruction. Streets within the prohibited area, as shown in the Prohibited Area for Driving School Instructors Map, have No Driving School Instruction Prohibited Signs posted.

What is and is not permitted in the Prohibited Area?

Driving instructors can still pick up and drop off their students who live in the Prohibited Area; however, no driving instruction can occur within the area. In addition, driving instruction cannot happen until the vehicle has left the Prohibited Area.

The DriveTest Centre can still run its road tests in this area. The Prohibited Area does not apply to people actively engaged in an official road test.

The Prohibited Area only applies to driving schools and driving school instructors.

For example:
Parents teaching their children to drive is not driving instruction by a driving school and therefore no licence is required and the Prohibited Area restrictions do not apply.

Can driving instructors operate on the main streets that make up the border of the Prohibited Area?

Yes. Driving instructors may provide instruction on the boundary roads (Ritson Road, Adelaide Ave, Bloor Street and Thornton Road).

If a driving instructor and the instruction vehicle only come into the City to take a student to the DriveTest Centre for a road test, do they require a licence?

Yes. A licence is required any time a driving instructor and their vehicle enter the City of Oshawa while engaged in driving school services, such as taking a student to the DriveTest Centre and using the driving school vehicle for a road test.

Do private career colleges, such as the Ontario Truck Training Academy, require a City of Oshawa driving school licence?

No. The driving school licensing program only applies to driving schools involved in the administration of Class G instruction.

How do I register a complaint?

Please contact Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311 to file a complaint or visit our Complaints page for more information.