Vulcanoid

The cost of exchanging in Canada depends on the Province it's being exchanged in.

You can't 'apply for a new British licence'. If you lie that you lost it, you should know you're doing something very wrong when you're lying to a government agency. If you try to start from scratch applying for a provisional licence, they're going to ask why and what happened.

Considering that the swap in the UK is free, and takes about 5 minutes of your time, people seem willing to go to extraordinary lengths to make their lives harder for no reason or benefit.

Hurlabrick

Really bad idea IMHO for the reasons others have stated (not legal).

Aviator

https://www.nickfreemansolicitors.co...cence-holders/

Siouxie

And in Ontario (probably other Provinces as well) it's an offense to hold 2 licenses.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...ticle25730125/and

suzeandmatt

I recently (eventually) changed mine over in Alberta. Registration place said I could drive on my full UK license for a year then I needed to change it. So I did. Was $22 to change. Took 10 minutes. They took my UK license off me as it’s illegal to hold more than 1 at the same time. Gave me back a photocopy of my UK one so I at least have my driving license number should I ever need to change it back in the UK.
Super simple.

Aviator

If you were living in AB as anything but a visitor, it is 90 days to change your license. Visitors, SAWP workers and foreign students can drive for 1 year on a foreign license.

If you were on a TWP, or as PR, nine months of that year were driving without a valid license.

https://www.alberta.ca/exchange-non-...-licences.aspx

evets

So I understand this, as has been pointed out many times by a couple of colleagues. BUT say you move to Ontario and already hold 2 international drivers licenses. Which is not an offense in those 2 countries, UK and AU.

You are only required to give up one of them when applying for the ON drivers license.

I did mention at the time of the swap I also had a UK license which was more important to keep, since I only had to exchange one.

Is this still illegal, since I have followed the correct process.

BritInParis

How did you come to have both?

suzeandmatt

Yep, I had read that & that’s what I assumed. I therefore asked at 2 different registration places to clarify (once not long after we got here when getting health cards then again out of curiosity when I changed the license) and each said I was fine on my UK license for a year.
I hadn’t actually driven in that time though- so regardless I wasn’t driving illegally. (Happened to eventually buy a car pretty much exactly a year after we arrived). But that’s what I was told.

Siouxie

The pertinent part is
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK67 35:e

You can hold a separate motor cycle license.

It doesn't matter whether it's an offence or not in other countries - you have to abide by the laws of Canada (or in this case, Ontario).

evets

Originally from UK, lived in Melbourne for 7 years. No requirement to surrender your UK license.

evets

True and I understand that, but I did mention the 2nd license at the time of the swap and they did not ask me to surrender it.

Aviator

Whomever told you, told you wrong. Won't effect you, but maybe help others. In AB you have 90 days to change from a UK license to an AB license as a TWP, PR or Canadian.

Aviator

It is up to the individual to comply with the law. Getting caught, 'they did not ask me to surrender it' won't cut it.

When we exchanged there was no reciprocal agreement. Licensing authority noted BC license number on the UK license.

Vulcanoid

Not quite - anyone moving to AB permanently must change within 90 days (https://www.alberta.ca/exchange-non-...-licences.aspx). So that covers PRs, citizens, Canadians moving inter-provincially. Temporary Workers on agricultural schemes may not (along with students and visitors), Temporary Workers on ordinary permits can choose (Service Alberta: Visitors, Students and Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta). So eg UK IEC permit holders, it's up to them if they switch or not. But yes, in this instance as a PR, it was 90 days.