Lesson #1:Ontario Driver’s License Classification

Ontario doesn’t have a single “driver’s licence” — it has 12 licence classes, each tied to a specific category of vehicle. Most people start with Class G (regular cars), but if you want to drive a motorcycle, a school bus, an 18-wheeler, or an ambulance, you need a different class — or an additional one layered on top of your G.

This lesson covers what each class lets you drive and what it takes to get it.

1. The Big Picture: How Classes Relate to Each Other

Ontario licence classes fall into three families:

Passenger vehicles — Class G (and its learner stages G1/G2)
Motorcycles — Class M (and its learner stages M1/M2)
Commercial vehicles — Classes A, B, C, D, E, F (trucks and buses)

A useful rule: higher/heavier commercial classes usually let you also drive the classes below them. For example, a Class A licence lets you drive Class D and G vehicles too. This is why the quick-reference table below lists what each class “also covers.”

2. Quick Reference Table

Class	What it covers	Also allows	Minimum age	Key prerequisite
G	Cars, vans, small trucks, and towed-vehicle combinations up to 11,000 kg	—	16	Pass G1 knowledge test → G2 road test → G road test (graduated system)
G1	Learner stage — Class G vehicles only, with a fully licensed (4+ yrs) supervising driver	—	16	Vision + knowledge test
G2	Intermediate stage — independent driving, some late-night passenger limits if under 20	—	16+	Hold G1 for 8–12 months, pass road test
M	Motorcycles, motor tricycles, scooters, mopeds	Class G1-level car driving	16	Hold M2, pass road test
M1	Motorcycle learner stage	—	16	Vision + written test
M2	Motorcycle intermediate stage	—	16+	Hold M1 for 60+ days, pass road test
A	Tractor-trailer combinations	Class D, Class G	18	Hold Class G, knowledge test, road test, medical certificate
B	Full-size school buses (24+ passengers)	Class C, D, E, F, G	21	Hold Class G, school-bus driver improvement course, clean record (≤6 demerit points, no recent suspension)
C	Full-size regular buses (24+ passengers)	Class D, F, G	18	Hold Class G, knowledge + road test
D	Trucks over 11,000 kg (dump trucks, straight trucks, etc.)	Class G	18	Hold Class G, knowledge test, road test, medical certificate
E	Small school buses (up to 24 passengers)	Class F, G	21	Same as Class B: driver improvement course, clean record
F	Small regular buses (up to 24 passengers) and ambulances	Class G	18	Hold Class G, knowledge + road test

3. Passenger Vehicles: Class G

This is the licence almost everyone gets first. It covers cars, vans, and small trucks (plus trailers) up to 11,000 kg combined weight. Getting a Class G licence means completing Ontario’s graduated licensing path:

G1 — learner’s permit (supervised driving only)
G2 — intermediate licence (independent driving, some restrictions)
G — full licence (no graduated restrictions)

(If you want the full step-by-step walkthrough of the G1 → G2 → G process, including fees and timelines, that’s covered in a separate lesson — just ask.)

4. Motorcycles: Class M

Class M works almost identically to Class G, just for two- and three-wheeled vehicles:

M1 — learner stage: written test, restrictions on highway use, passengers, and time of day
M2 — intermediate stage: road test after holding M1 for at least 60 days
M — full licence: after holding M2 for 18 months (with an approved motorcycle safety course) or 22 months (without)

A full Class M licence also gives you G1-level privileges to drive a car, though most motorcycle riders already hold a separate Class G.

5. Commercial Vehicles: Classes A, B, C, D, E, F

These all require you to already hold a Class G licence first (Class G is the prerequisite, not a starting point). They’re generally split by vehicle type and passenger capacity:

Trucks:

Class D — straight trucks and other vehicles over 11,000 kg (the “regular” heavy truck class)
Class A — tractor-trailers (the class you need to drive an 18-wheeler); also covers Class D

Buses — full size (24+ passengers):

Class C — regular buses (transit, charter)
Class B — school buses; requires a school-bus driver improvement course and a clean driving record (no more than 6 demerit points, no licence suspension in the past 12 months)

Buses — small (up to 24 passengers) and ambulances:

Class F — small regular buses and ambulances
Class E — small school buses; same driver-improvement-course and clean-record requirements as Class B

All commercial classes (A, B, C, D, E, F) require passing a written knowledge test on the specific vehicle type, a road test, and providing a satisfactory medical certificate. Minimum age is 18 for A, C, D, and F, and 21 for the school-bus classes B and E.

6. General Rules That Apply Across Classes

Zero blood alcohol concentration applies to all drivers under 22, regardless of licence class, and to anyone still in the graduated licensing system (G1/G2, M1/M2).
You must hold the prerequisite class (usually Class G) before applying for most commercial classes — commercial licensing builds on top of your car licence rather than replacing it.
Bus classes (B and E) carry extra scrutiny: a clean recent driving record and specific criminal history checks, on top of the standard tests.

Sources

Licence class rules, ages, and prerequisites are set by the Ministry of Transportation and can change — confirm current details at ontario.ca or drivetest.ca before applying.