Permis PrêtWhat are the probationary licence rules in Québec?
The second stage of the Class 5 licence: you drive alone, but under stricter rules.
Short answer: the probationary licence lasts 2 years. During that time your licence is revoked at 4 demerit points, you may not have any alcohol in your body, you cannot supervise a learner, and if you are 19 or under, the number of young passengers you can carry between midnight and 5 a.m. is limited in your first year.
How you get it
After at least 12 months with a learner’s licence, completing the driving course (theory and practical parts) and passing the SAAQ road test (Règlement sur les permis, the licence regulation, s. 22; Guide de la route, ch. 1). You then pick up the probationary licence at an SAAQ service centre.
How long it lasts
A probationary licence issued since 2010 is valid for 2 years from the date it is issued (Règlement sur les permis, s. 27). Only valid time counts toward the 24 months of experience, so a suspension stretches out your probation (Règlement sur les permis, s. 27; Guide de la route, ch. 1). Once you have the 24 months, you go to the SAAQ to get your regular driver’s licence.
The rules during probation
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Demerit points | At 4 points or more the licence is revoked, with no new licence for at least 3 months (Code de la sécurité routière [Highway Safety Code], s. 191.2; Règlement sur les points d’inaptitude, s. 5.1). |
| Alcohol | No alcohol at all in your body while driving (Code de la sécurité routière, s. 202.2). |
| Supervising a learner | Not allowed: the supervisor must have held a driver’s licence for at least 2 years, and a probationary licence doesn’t qualify (Code de la sécurité routière, s. 99; Guide de la route, ch. 1). |
| Night-time passengers (19 and under) | See the next section (Code de la sécurité routière, s. 100). |
Unlike a learner, a probationary driver drives alone, and the Code does not bar them from driving between midnight and 5 a.m.; that ban applies to learner’s licences (Code de la sécurité routière, s. 99). For probationary drivers, what is limited at night is the number of passengers.
Passengers between midnight and 5 a.m.
If you are 19 or under, during the first year of your probationary licence, the number of passengers aged 19 or under you may carry between midnight and 5 a.m. is limited (Code de la sécurité routière, s. 100):
| Time since the licence was issued | Passengers aged 19 or under allowed, midnight to 5 a.m. |
|---|---|
| First 6 months | 1 |
| Months 7 to 12 | 3 |
| After 12 months | No limit |
- Immediate family doesn’t count: spouse, your children or your spouse’s, brothers and sisters, and other children of your parents or of their spouses.
- The limit doesn’t apply if a passenger sitting next to you has held a valid driver’s licence of the right class for at least 2 years and can help you.
- Breaking this rule carries 4 points, which means revocation (Règlement sur les points d’inaptitude, schedule, item 1.1).
After probation
With a regular driver’s licence, the point limit depends on your age: 8 points under 23, 12 points at 23 or 24, and 15 points at 25 or older (Règlement sur les points d’inaptitude, s. 5). The zero-alcohol rule also continues up to and including age 21 (Code de la sécurité routière, s. 202.2).
Key points for the test
- Length: 24 months with a valid probationary licence.
- 4 points = revoked; zero alcohol.
- A probationary driver cannot supervise a learner.
- Age 19 or under: 1 young passenger at night for the first 6 months, 3 for the next 6.
Original questions with explanations and sources, “Highway Safety Code” section.
Practise for free
See also
- Demerit points on a learner’s licence
- Zero alcohol for new drivers
- Cell phone while driving: points and penalties
Official sources
- Code de la sécurité routière (Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2), ss. 99, 100, 191.2 and 202.2
- Règlement sur les permis (Regulation respecting licences, CQLR c. C-24.2, r. 34), ss. 22 and 27
- Règlement sur les points d’inaptitude (Regulation respecting demerit points, CQLR c. C-24.2, r. 37), ss. 5 and 5.1, schedule, item 1.1
- SAAQ, Guide de la route (driver’s handbook, French 4th ed., 2024), ch. 1, “L’obtention du permis probatoire”, “Transport de passagers”, “Le permis de conduire”
General information page, current as of 2026-10-28. If in doubt, the official text prevails. Rules can change: check saaq.gouv.qc.ca and legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca.