How do you check your Ontario licence status online?
Enter your licence number in the Ministry of Transportation’s online Driver’s Licence Check, often called the MTO licence check. It returns one result, such as Valid, Not Valid or Not Found, with no reason and no history.
Find your licence number
It is on the front of your licence card: 15 characters, one letter followed by 14 digits, printed like A1234-56789-01234. The 7-digit number on the back is the trillium number, which is something else.
Save the result before you leave
Print, download or email the result from the results page. Once you leave it, the result can no longer be viewed.
For a yes or no today, that is enough. Once the answer is Not Valid, or someone asks for your driving record, what you need is your Ontario drivers abstract.
What does each Ontario licence status mean?
Valid means the licence can be used to drive today, sometimes with a condition attached. Not Valid means it cannot, and the result stops there.
| Result | What it means | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Valid | The licence is valid on the day of the check. | Licence class, endorsements, convictions or demerit points. |
| Valid with Ignition Interlock | Valid, but only for vehicles fitted with an approved ignition interlock device until the condition is removed. | Why the condition was added or when it ends. |
| Valid with “W” Code | Valid, but the driver may not operate a commercial vehicle in the United States. | The licence class or any other restrictions. |
| Valid with Ignition Interlock and “W” Code | Both conditions apply to the same licence. | Why either was added, or when the interlock ends. |
| Not Valid | The licence is not valid for driving on the day of the check. | Whether it is suspended, cancelled or expired, why, or for how long. |
| Not Found | No licence matched the number that was entered. | Whether the number was just mistyped. Check all 15 characters before reading anything into it. |
The interlock condition follows a Criminal Code impaired driving conviction, or three or more administrative impaired driving suspensions within 10 years. The W code is not a driving ban. It is added for a hearing impairment, a history of epilepsy or seizures, or monocular vision.
Your driver record uses plainer words in its status field, such as licensed, unlicensed or suspended. The full field list is in what is on an Ontario drivers abstract.
What should you do if you think your licence is suspended?
Stop driving until you know, then get your record and see what it shows.
Leave the car parked until you know
Under Ontario’s rules, making sure your licence is valid before you drive is your responsibility.
Get your record
Order your Ontario driver record and see what it says about your status before you call anyone.
Look for an unpaid ticket
A ticket you set aside and forgot can end in a fine suspension, and the record lists any active one.
Check your mail and your address
If you have moved, a suspension letter may have gone to your old address. You must tell the Ministry of Transportation about an address change within six days.
Get advice before you dispute anything
If the suspension follows a charge or conviction you disagree with, a lawyer or paralegal can advise you. Questions about the suspension itself go to the Ministry of Transportation’s Driver Improvement Office.
What is the difference between a suspended, cancelled and expired licence?
A suspended licence is taken away for a set period or until conditions are met. A cancelled licence is no longer in effect and has to be renewed or earned again, and an expired one has passed its expiry date. You cannot legally drive on any of the three.
| Status | How it happens | How it ends |
|---|---|---|
| Suspended | At the roadside by police, by a court order on conviction, or by a suspension letter from the Ministry of Transportation. | When the set period runs out or its conditions are met, such as paying fines or finishing a program, and any reinstatement fee is paid. |
| Cancelled | For example, failing a driver re-examination, not paying the reinstatement fee or an administrative penalty after a suspension, paying licence fees with a cheque the bank does not honour, or surrendering the licence. | Renewal. A full licence cancelled for more than a year needs tests first. |
| Expired | The licence passed its expiry date. Most Ontario licences are valid for 5 years. | Renewal. A full licence expired for more than a year needs tests, and an expired G1, G2, M1 or M2 cannot be renewed. |
A renewal notice may arrive about 2 or 3 months before the expiry date, and one mailed to an old address will not reach you. Your 3-year driver record lists the expiry date along with your status.
Why would an Ontario licence be suspended?
Ontario suspends licences for too many demerit points, unpaid traffic fines, alcohol or drugs, certain driving convictions and medical conditions, among other reasons.
| Reason | How it starts | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Too many demerit points | A Ministry letter giving the effective date | Full licence at 15 or more points: 30 days. Novice licence at 9 or more: 60 days. A later demerit suspension can be six months. |
| Unpaid traffic fine | A court order once the fine is in default (any part unpaid 15 days or more after it is due) | Until the fine and the reinstatement fee are paid |
| Blood alcohol of 0.05 to 0.079 (the warn range) | At the roadside, by police | 7 days the first time, 14 days the second, 30 days the third |
| Blood alcohol of 0.08 or more, or refusing a test | At the roadside, by police | 90 days, separate from any criminal charge |
| Criminal Code driving conviction, such as impaired driving | On conviction | 1 year for a first conviction, 3 years for a second, indefinite for a third |
| Handheld device conviction (full licence) | Automatically on conviction | 3 days for a first, 7 days for a second, 30 days for a third or later |
| Stunt driving or street racing | At the roadside, then again on conviction | 30 days at the roadside; at least 1 year on a first conviction |
| Novice licence offence | On conviction for breaking graduated licensing rules or for an offence worth 4 or more points | 30 days for a first, 90 days for a second, cancellation for a third |
| Medical condition | A report from a doctor or other prescribed health professional | Until new medical evidence shows it is safe to drive |
Ontario’s list also includes failing to insure your vehicle, fleeing police, an unpaid claim or court judgment, unpaid court-ordered child or spousal support, skipping a remedial measures program, not filing a vision report, and convictions such as careless driving or driving 50 km/h or more over the limit.
Three causes have guides of their own: how Ontario demerit points work, licence suspensions for unpaid fines and medical suspensions and your driving record.
Is a licence status check the same as your driver record?
No. The status check gives one result for today, while your driver record adds the 3 years of history behind it.
Online licence status check
- One result per licence number, such as Valid or Not Valid
- Shows conditions such as ignition interlock or a W code
- No licence class, endorsements or personal details
- No convictions, demerit points or suspension history
- Results must be saved before you leave the page
3-year driver record
- Status, class, expiry date, conditions and endorsements
- Earliest licence date available
- Your demerit point total
- Convictions, suspensions and reinstatements from the past 3 years
- Active fine suspensions
- A PDF you keep and can forward
A Valid result says nothing about last year’s speeding conviction or its points. To see the convictions and points an insurer or employer will ask about, get your driving record online. More on this in how to check your driving record in Ontario and how to check your demerit points.
How does a reinstatement show on your Ontario driving record?
The suspension stays and the reinstatement is listed too. The 3-year driver record shows suspensions and reinstatements from the past three years, so both remain on it until they move outside that window.
The one exception Ontario names is medical: expired medical suspensions are left off the 3-year record.
Getting reinstated means clearing whatever caused the suspension: pay any outstanding fines, finish any court process or court-ordered program, and keep the documents that show the suspension was lifted. A reinstatement fee applies, except after a medical suspension, and paying it does not by itself guarantee you can drive again.
- 1 to 3 yearsAn eye test
- 3 to 10 yearsThe written knowledge test, an eye test and both road tests (G1 and G2)
- More than 10 yearsRe-apply as a new driver and retake all required tests
A demerit point suspension does not wipe your points. Afterwards, the total on your record is reduced to 7 for a full licence and 4 for a novice licence.
A copy issued while you were suspended shows the suspended status, so send a fresh Ontario driving abstract once your reinstatement has gone through. Many insurers and employers ask for a record issued within the last 30 days; see how long a drivers abstract is valid.
When does an employer or insurer need more than a status check?
Whenever they are judging how you drive, not only whether you may. A Valid result is what someone lending you a vehicle checks for. Insurers and employers look at your record.
| Who is asking | Is a status check enough? | What they need to see |
|---|---|---|
| Someone lending you their vehicle | Usually, yes | That your licence is valid. Owners are responsible for not letting a suspended driver use their vehicle. |
| Car insurance company or broker | No | Your convictions from the last 3 years, and whether any licence in the household was suspended or cancelled in the last 6 years. |
| Employer hiring for a driving role | No | Your class, status and convictions. |
| Commercial carrier | No | A driver abstract when you are hired and at least once a year after that, as the Ministry’s safety manual advises operators. |
| You, before any of the above | No | Your own 3-year record, so nothing on it catches you off guard. |
The standard Ontario auto insurance application asks for every conviction from the last 3 years, the same window the 3-year record covers, so order your driving abstract online before you apply. See drivers abstracts for insurance for how insurers use the record.
For work, start with drivers abstracts for employment, or drivers abstracts for Uber and Lyft if you drive for an app. Commercial drivers may also be asked for the CVOR Driver Abstract, which covers up to five years of commercial driving in Ontario and also shows licence status and medical due date.
Frequently asked questions
Does Not Valid mean my licence is suspended?
The check does not say. It shows only the label Not Valid, with nothing on whether the licence is suspended, cancelled or expired, or why. Your 3-year driver record shows your status, your expiry date, and any suspensions and reinstatements from the past three years.
If my licence is valid, is my driving record clean?
Not necessarily. A licence can be valid while carrying convictions and demerit points, because Valid only means it can be used today. Your 3-year driver record lists those convictions and your current point total, which is what an employer or insurer asks about.
How would I find out that my licence has been suspended?
A suspension starts at the roadside, by court order, or with a suspension letter from the Ministry of Transportation, and a demerit point suspension letter gives the effective date. If you have moved and a letter may have gone astray, your driver record shows your current status.
Why does my licence still show suspended after I appealed?
Processing takes time. Once an appeal of the conviction is filed, the Ministry of Transportation may take up to 15 business days, sometimes longer, to process the documents, and the licence status stays suspended while it does. A lawyer or paralegal can advise on the appeal itself.
Can I drive on an expired licence while I sort out the renewal?
No. It is illegal to drive in Ontario on an expired licence, just as it is on a suspended or cancelled one. Renew before the expiry date on your card passes, because a renewal notice mailed to an old address will not reach you.
Can I check whether someone else’s licence is valid?
Yes. People lending or renting out a vehicle can verify that a driver’s licence is valid. For the history behind it, Ontario lets anyone order a 3-year driver record with the driver’s licence number. Here you need their name as it appears on the licence and their 15-character licence number, and by ordering you confirm you are legally permitted to request it.
How fast can I see my licence status and the history behind it?
Order your 3-year driver record and the PDF arrives by email instantly after payment. It costs $39.99, paid once. Occasional delays can occur.
Sources: Status results and what the online check shows: the Ministry of Transportation’s Driver’s Licence Check. Suspensions: Highway Traffic Act (including sections 41, 46, 48, 48.3, 78.1, 172 and 203), Ontario Regulation 339/94 (Demerit Point System) and the Provincial Offences Act (fine default). Cancellation, renewal, reinstatement, the W and ignition interlock conditions, and record contents: Ministry of Transportation published guidance and the MTO Driver’s Handbook. Insurance questions: the standard Ontario Application for Automobile Insurance (OAF 1).