Driving School and Instructor Licences
All driving schools located in Oshawa must obtain a licence from the City. Additionally, all driving instructors operating within the boundaries of the city must also have a licence.
There is also 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 Licensing System and Prohibited Area are intended to 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.
How to Apply
Driving Schools
A person who or that offers or provides an Ontario Ministry of Transportation approved course in a prescribed class of driving instruction for which the Highway Traffic Act requires a driving school licence.
Fees:
- $100 annual licensing fee
- $75 annual application fee
To apply, submit the following:
- Driving School and Driving Instructor Application form
- Business name Registration (Master Business Licence and/or Articles of Incorporation)
- A valid Provincial Driving School licence that is current and in good standing
- A list of all driving instructors that your driving school has on contract
You may apply:
- Online by submitting the Driving School and Driving Instructor Application form
- In person at:
Licensing Services
1st Floor, West Wing, City Hall
50 Centre St. S.
Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z7
Driving Instructors
An individual who provides driving instruction for which the Highway Traffic Act requires a driving instructor licence.
Fees:
- $175 annual licensing fee
- $75 annual application fee
To apply, you must submit the following:
- Driving School and Driving Instructor Application form
- Driving School Affiliation Letter
- Provincial Driving Instructor Licence
- Ontario Driver's Licence
- Vehicle Ownership
- Proof of Automobile Liability Insurance with a limit of not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per accident for bodily injury and property damage with OPCF 6D Driver Training School Endorsement
- Safety Certificate and Passenger/Light Duty Inspection Report
You may apply:
- Online by submitting the Driving School and Driving Instructor Application form
- In person at:
Licensing Services
1st Floor, West Wing, City Hall
50 Centre St. S.
Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z7
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Why did the City licence driving schools and instructors? |
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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, and community input and complaints. The licensing system:
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Who needs a licence? |
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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 if they enter into Oshawa as part of providing instruction and services. All driving school instructors who operate in Oshawa need a licence, even if their driving school is located outside of the City. For example: |
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Are there areas of the City where driving instructors are prohibited from operating? |
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Yes. Licensed driving instructors cannot operate on Municipal property or within the Prohibited Area for Driving School Instructors. |
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I live within the Prohibited Area. Is my driving instructor not able to pick me up? |
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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. |
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What is and is not permitted in the Prohibited Area? |
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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. 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: |
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Can driving instructors operate on the main streets that make up the border of the Prohibited Area? |
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Yes. Driving instructors may provide instruction on the boundary roads (Ritson Road, Adelaide Ave, Bloor Street and Thornton Road). |
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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? |
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Yes. A licence is required any time a driving instructor and their vehicle enter Oshawa while engaged in driving school or instruction services, such as taking a student to the DriveTest Centre and using the driving school vehicle for a road test. |
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Do private career colleges, such as the Ontario Truck Training Academy, require a City of Oshawa driving school licence? |
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No. The driving school licensing program only applies to driving schools involved in the administration of Class G instruction. |
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How do I register a complaint? |
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Please contact Service Oshawa to file a complaint. |