NWT Driver’s Licence 2026: From Class 7 to a Full Class 5

How do you get an NWT driver’s licence?

Stage	Licence	Next step
Stage 1, learner	Class 7	Pass the Class 5 road test
Stage 2, probationary	Class 5P	12 months with no suspension
Stage 3, full licence	Class 5	Renew before it expires

The move from Class 5P to Class 5 doesn’t happen by itself. You apply in person at any driver and vehicle office.

Class 7 learner rules

As a learner, you must:

Drive with a supervisor: a fully licensed driver with at least 24 months on a full Class 5 licence
Carry no passengers other than your supervisor
Keep a blood alcohol level of zero, and so must your supervisor
Stay under 6 demerit points

The Driver’s Manual adds that the supervisor must be 19 or older and not in graduated licensing.

Learning to ride a motorcycle on your Class 7? The same hours apply. Your supervisor needs 24 months on a full Class 6 licence, and rides on the motorcycle with you or follows on or in another vehicle.

What happens at 6 points →

The Class 5 road test

To reach Stage 2, you need to be 16 or older, finish your learner stage and pass the standard Class 5 practical examination. Book and pay ahead, online or at an office, then bring:

Your receipt and your valid Class 7 licence
A two-axle vehicle, not a motorcycle, with a valid licence plate, registration and insurance
Your glasses or contact lenses, if you need them to drive

The examiner checks the vehicle first and refuses the test if it isn’t mechanically safe, so make sure the lights, horn, brakes, wipers, mirrors and seatbelts work and there’s enough fuel. Only you and the examiner ride along, with no pets.

You’re assessed on vehicle control, signals, turns, lanes, reversing, right of way, speed, parallel, hill and angle parking, and obeying signs and signals. Afterwards the examiner goes over your errors. You can take one practical examination a day.

Class 5P probationary rules

For your 12 months at Stage 2, the Driver’s Manual says you must:

Carry no more than one passenger in the front seat, and no more passengers than there are seatbelts
Keep a blood alcohol level of zero
Stay under 6 demerit points, as at Stage 1
Stay out of the commercial classes, 1 to 4
Not act as a learner’s supervisor

The zero alcohol rule also covers every driver under 22, in graduated licensing or not. Breaking it brings an automatic 30-day suspension.

NWT licence classes

Class	What it lets you drive
Class 1	Any vehicle or combination except a motorcycle
Class 2	Buses of any seating capacity
Class 3	Single vehicles with three or more axles
Class 4	Taxis, ambulances and buses up to 24 passengers
Class 5	Two-axle vehicles, trailers up to 4,500 kg, recreational vehicles
Class 6	Motorcycles
Class 7	Class 5 vehicles or a motorcycle, while learning

For the licence in Classes 1 to 4, you need to be 18 or older, you can’t apply on a probationary licence, and you need a medical report. To drive a vehicle with air brakes, you need an air brake “Q” endorsement or a Class 1 licence.

Get the Driver’s Manual →

Moving to the NWT with a licence

A licence from elsewhere in Canada or from the United States is accepted as the same class without testing. You transfer it in person at a driver and vehicle office, with the application form and supporting documents, and you give up your old licence. You have 30 days after moving here to do it. If you hold Class 1, 2, 3 or 4, you need an NWT medical first.

A licence from another country may be transferable if your country is eligible, so ask your local office. If it isn’t, you pass the knowledge test for a learner’s licence and a road test. A valid licence from your country with an International Driving Permit lets a foreign national living in the NWT drive. The permit lasts 12 months and counts as a Class 5.

Find a driver and vehicle office →

Renewing or changing your licence

Licences last one, three or five years, though your class, age or medical status may mean renewing sooner. Renew online or at an office before it expires; the manual says a renewal notice comes 45 days ahead. If it has been expired for more than two years, you apply as a first-time driver.

Class 5, 6 and 7 drivers need a medical examination at 75, at 80 and every two years after that. Changes to your name, gender, endorsements or class are made in person, with your licence and one document each for legal name and date of birth, photo ID and proof of residency. The manual says the law requires you to report a name or address change right away. An address change is free.

See how to renew ↗

NWT driver’s licence fees

Item	Fee	Seniors 60+
One-year licence	$46	$23
Three-year licence	$84	$43
Five-year licence	$110	$54
Replacement licence	$33	$17
Licence class upgrade	$33	$17
Name, gender or endorsement change	$33	Not listed
Class 5 road test	$47	Not listed

Driver and Vehicle Services lists the same licence fees for a first licence, a renewal and a transfer.

Sources: Government of the Northwest Territories and 8 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

Overview Where to learn Driver abstract Offices

Getting an NWT driver’s licence, stage by stage