We contacted the Ontario, Canada Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to find out for certain if G1 or G2 licensed drivers could drive out of their province and into the United States since the restriction and conditions listed by the MTO for these graduated licenses does not say for certain.

The representative of the 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.

Whether a Class G2 license is accepted depends on the laws, including minimum driving age, in the province or state you are driving in.

The MTO 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. The rep. for the MTO 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

The Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) told us that they accept any valid learner’s permit or graduate license subject to restrictions mandated by the issuing state. We would advise that you also check with the SOS directly yourself to see if they have any extra time, passenger or cell phone restrictions you would have to follow while visiting in Chicago.

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