A representative we contacted at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) stated that the G1 license is a learner's permit and as such, only meant for practice driving in Ontario with a licensed accompanying driver present at all times. A novice license is not considered to be fully licensed for driving.

However the MTO rep. went on to say that once you are outside Ontario, you are subject to the laws of the jurisdiction you are traveling in, not Ontario's laws. She also noted that you should check first with the licensing authorities of the province or state about the validity of Ontario novice licenses there BEFORE you travel out of the area.

We thus contacted the Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), the licensing agency for this Canadian province to find out if you are able to drive in Winnipeg with your Ontario G1 which is basically a learner's permit.

According to the representative we reached you may drive in Manitoba with your valid Ontario learner's license in Manitoba for up to three months and must be at least 16 years of age. In addition the supervising driver must have held a full class 5 driver's license for at least three years and have less than .05 blood alcohol content. You would also need to follow the rules and regulations from your home jurisdiction, Ontario, Canada.

The MPI notes that you may also want to contact your insurance company for coverage while driving in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In Manitoba they like Ontario have a graduated driver's licensing (GDL) program. Here they allow one to receive a Learner's Permit after they pass the written test. The learner's permit must be held for a minimum of nine months. This is followed by an Intermediate license which is issued for a minimum of 15 months. After the Intermediate license one can apply for a Full license.

All areas of Canada have GDL programs; each stage puts specific restrictions on the new driver to encourage good, safe driving. So when driving in another province check, as we did here with the MPI, to see what your restrictions are and if you are allowed to drive in their province or territory with only your G1.

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