Driving license

One thing that really surprised me on moving to Canada was the Driving license issue.

I was led to believe that on arrival it would be a straight swap, I would need to surrender my full UK driving license in exchange for a full Canadian license, this is not the case.

I had a full UK License ( clean without any points from the date of issue 30 years earlier ) for both a motorcycle and a car, when I moved to Canada I brought with me a vintage motorcycle hoping to take to the roads on it, when I visited the Licensing office they informed me they would give me either a full car license or a full motorcycle license but NOT both.

This I found very annoying, the need of the car for transporting the family around was more important so I had no option other than to surrender my UK License and in return have a full Canadian car license, I was told that I would then need to re sit my motorcycle license, as Canada is part of the British Commonwealth I found this very strange and most annoying.

So please be aware of this, if you have both motorcycle and car listed on your UK License, they will only exchange for one or the other NOT BOTH

Driving licences are issued provincially. Different provinces have different rules. In BC for example, a straight swap is available for both car and motorcycle licences. This is not the case for other jurisdictions. What you were led to believe appears to be a lack of research/understanding on your part.

Not sure where to start here

What does the Commonwealth mean these days and why do you think it somehow entitles you to special exemptions?

Not saying I need special exemptions, just that I was informed before moving that it was like for like a straight exchange, and that's not what happened

It is a straight swap in BC.

In fact, I only had the 'usual' Provisional motorcycle entitlement on my UK Licence, but ICBC tried to insist on giving me Motorcycle on my BC Licence!

The lady on the other side of the counter was quite insistent!

If you were informed by Service Ontario that you could swap and get both licences, then you have a very good point. If you were told by your friend's uncle's mother in law, then not so much.

There is no such thing as a Canadian driver's license - driver's licenses are a provincial responsibility.




Seems a bit silly but it is pointless to argue with a bureaucracy.

Well apparently (from a link on a Twitter site from Canada house in the run up to UK elections) it allows Canadians living in the UK to vote in UK elections but Brits living in Canada don't get the same...one rule for one...although I do realize I am going off topic here.

Do you know what happens if you then go back to the UK and trade your Canadian licence for your UK one again. Do you get the motorcycle part back?

I am in the same dilemma about my licence but I am in Quebec which is one of the only provinces that allow you to keep hold of your UK licence too I think. Another way i've heard of doing things is that you can just get an international driving licence from your UK one, and as long as you don't apply for the Permanent Residency then that licence covers you for whatever it did in the UK (in this case cars and motorcycles). But as soon as you apply for Permanent Residency then you'd have to get a driving licence from your province as you'd no longer be there temporarily. Maybe I am incorrect but I have found there is a lot of conflicting information out here on the internet and like people have said, it differs with each province.

I got my permanent Residency 10 years ago and have been trying to find an answer to this ever since, I live in Barrie Ontario.

If you have a UK licence, that runs out when you turn 70, it is not cancelled. If you have your drivers number just get a replacement license, you don't exchange your Canadian license for a UK license you already have.

In BC the license requirement is dependant on how long you are in the province. Residents as PR or Canadians have 90 days and visitors 180 days to change their license to a BC one. One would assume it is similar in other provinces.

If you became a PR 10 years ago, presumably you changed your licence over a long time ago? Or have you only just started driving again? I thought the straight swap thing without retaking a test was a reasonably recent thing.

No Ive been trying to find an answer to this for nearly 10 years

In sask that was the requirement. I exchanged my UK license for a sask one. I am waiting on PR on a visitor visa and have renewed three or four times when I get my new visitor permit. As CIC are on a current go slow for temp residence renewal I am coming up for 4 months on Implied status and unable to renew my license. I now read that SGI won't issue a license to someone on a visitor permit!!!! I am hoping as I already have a license and it just needs extending I'll be ok... otherwise I might just lose it...

I thought a UK licence was only valid for 5 years (photo one anyway). I think you only have 90 days to swap licences over when you live here permanently. Haven't you had to use your licence (or lack of) as ID at any time in the last 10 years? I'm amazed if not.