Open and operate an approved driving school

Overview

Operating a driving school in Ontario is an important responsibility.

Government-approved driving schools can:

• offer the Beginner Driver Education (BDE) course
• teach new drivers
• help students move from G1 to G2 more quickly when they successfully complete the course
• provide opportunities for insurance discounts

You can apply to the Ministry of Transportation to have your school approved.

To qualify, your school needs to meet Ontario’s curriculum standards and requirements for:

• in-class or digital instruction
• in-vehicle instruction
• office facilities
• administration
• audits
• advertising

Before you apply

You should gather supporting documentation about your:

• business
• instruction vehicles
• driving instructors

Business documentation

To operate a driving school in Ontario, you must register your business. After registration, you will need:

• proof of business name registration issued by the Government of Ontario
• proof of incorporation, such as a certificate of incorporation, sole proprietorship or partnership documents
• a municipal business licence, if your municipality requires one
  • If your municipality does not require a business licence, provide a copy of the e-mail confirmation from the municipality.
• proof that you lease, rent or own office and classroom space
• proof of general liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $2 million for both office and classroom space

Documentation examples

Instruction vehicle requirements

You must provide:

• proof of insurance with at least $2 million in general liability and 6D endorsement coverage for driver training
• a copy of ownership details, such as the vehicle permit
• a current Safety Standard Certificate issued within 12 months of your application date
• proof that the vehicle has a dual brake and have school signage attached to the top of the vehicle

Documentation examples

In-vehicle driving instructor information

You must provide:

• vehicle permit or ownership papers
• teaching certification
• driver’s licence
• driving instructor’s licence
• driver’s abstract
• written employment contract for each in-vehicle driving instructor who will teach at the school
• municipal vehicle licence

In-class and digital instructor information

You must provide:

• a valid driver’s licence
• driving instructor’s licence
• driver’s abstract
• teaching certification
• a written employment contract duly executed, for each in-class or digital driving instructor who will teach at the school

Other requirements

You must provide:

• a copy of your student course registration form
• a copy of the in-vehicle record sheet template used to record in-vehicle training
• a copy of the in-class or digital student training record sheet template used to track in-classroom attendance and test results
• a sample or copy of the record of attendance and test results for each student taking digital course, demonstrating all log on and log-off activity

Curriculum requirements

The school must have:

• have a ministry-approved course curriculum
• a curriculum that follows the Beginner Driver Education (BDE) Program Curriculum Standards
• one of the following:
  • Declaration of Beginner Driver Education ministry-approved curriculum agreement, if the curriculum was developed in-house and approved by the Ministry
  • Curriculum purchase agreement, if the curriculum was purchased by a third-party curriculum developer
• a copy of the course schedule showing:
  • minimum 20 hours of in-class or digital instruction
  • 10 hours of in-vehicle instruction
  • 10 hours of flex training

How to apply

Once you have the required documents, email us to start the process: driver.education@ontario.ca

What we will send you

• Beginner Driver Education (BDE) policy manual
• Registration form
• Link to register on the BDE system
• Instructor registration forms
• Audit checklist

Before you submit your application

Review all the required documents carefully before you submit them.

If your application is incomplete or has incorrect information or documents, we will return it. The review and approval process will take longer.

Protect yourself from fraud

Whether you are a student, driving instructor or course provider, it is important to recognize and avoid fraudulent activity. Examples include:

For students:

• requesting or receiving your Beginner Driver Education certification without completing all required training hours
• agreeing to have training records altered to reflect hours that were not completed
• altering, buying or selling a Beginner Drivers Education certificate

For course providers and driving instructors:

• giving a student a Beginner Driver Education certification without confirming all required training hours were completed
• falsifying or manipulating student training records to show hours that were not completed

Consequences

Students, driving instructors and course providers can face serious consequences if they engage in fraudulent activities, such as:

• drivers licence suspensions
• prosecution under the Highway Traffic Act
• removal of the Beginning Driver Education certification from a student’s driver record, along with any benefits obtained using it
• suspension or revocation of a course provider’s Beginning Driver Education licence
• publication of the names of revoked schools
• suspension or revocation of a driving instructor’s licence

How to avoid improper or dishonest practices

• use the list of government-approved driving schools on the Ontario website to find an appropriate, licensed driving school
• ensure that you or your students have completed all required training hours, including:
  • in-class and digital learning
  • in-vehicle lessons
  • flex-time learning
• keep accurate and honest records of student progress and attendance

If you witness or suspect improper or dishonest practices such as the sale of BDE certificates or requests for certification without completing training, report it immediately by email to: driver.education@ontario.ca.

In your email, include the following information:

• your name
• the driving school and driving instructor name
• detailed description of the incident
• time, date and location of the activity
• proof of fraudulent activity, if available