What does a drivers abstract show that free sources do not?
All of it in one document: your licence status, demerit point total and three years of convictions, suspensions and reinstatements. No free source puts those together.
The drivers abstract is the 3-year Ontario driver record, kept by the Ministry of Transportation. It is the most popular type of driving record and the one commonly used for employment, and it has no free version.
What can you get for free, and what costs money?
Pieces of information about your licence can be free. The driver record itself, in any version, is not.
Free, or already in your hands
- Your licence card
- Ministry warning letters
- Your AutoPlus insurance report
- An abstract you already have
- A record your insurer or employer orders themselves
Not free
- The 3-year driver record (the drivers abstract)
- A certified driver record
- The 5-year and other longer-term records
- The CVOR Driver Abstract
| Option | What it shows | What it leaves out | Can it replace your abstract? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your licence card | Name, address, date of birth, photo, signature, licence number and expiry date | Convictions, demerit points, suspensions and whether the licence is valid today | No |
| Ministry warning letter | That your points have reached a warning level. The first letter comes at 6 to 8 points on a full licence, 2 to 5 on a novice licence | The rest of your record. Letters only go out once your points reach a warning level | No |
| Consumer AutoPlus report | Your auto insurance policies and claims history, as reported by insurers | Your licence status and demerit point total | No. It is an insurance report, not a driving record |
| An abstract you already have | Your record as of the day it was issued | Anything recorded after that day | Only if the person asking accepts its age |
| Your own 3-year driver record | Status, class, expiry, conditions, earliest licence date available, demerit point total, and 3 years of convictions, suspensions and reinstatements | Your address, beginner driver education and expired medical suspensions | Yes. $39.99, paid once, delivered instantly by email |
Below the first warning level, no letter arrives at all, so you cannot rely on the mail to track your points. To see your exact total and the convictions behind it, get your driving record online. The guide on how to check your demerit points in Ontario covers each level and what it triggers.
Can a licence status check replace a drivers abstract?
No. A status check tells you whether a licence is valid on the day you check. It shows no convictions, no demerit points and no suspension history, so it cannot stand in for the record.
The Ministry of Transportation’s online Driver’s Licence Check returns a one-line result for a licence number, such as Valid, Not Valid or Not Found, along with conditions like an ignition interlock or a W code. It does not show the licence class, other endorsements or any personal details, and the result has to be saved before you leave the page or it is gone.
The check answers “can this licence be used today”, while the record answers “what has this driver done on the road”. Every result is explained in how to check if your Ontario licence is valid.
If someone asked for your record, a status result will not do. Order your Ontario drivers abstract instead, delivered instantly as a PDF.
Do you need your own copy if your insurer or employer checks your record?
Not if they order it themselves, which Ontario allows with just your licence number. If the request says you must provide the record, you need your own copy.
The wording of the request tells you which case you are in.
They order it
- They ask for your licence number, or for a signed release
- They get the record themselves
- A copy of your own is up to you
You send it
- They ask you to provide, send or upload your drivers abstract
- Order your 3-year record and forward or upload the PDF
If a request is unclear, ask whether they will order the record or want you to send it.
Insurance is the best reason to have your own copy even when nobody asked for it. The Ontario auto insurance application asks you to list every driving conviction from the last three years, the same window the 3-year record covers, so your own copy lets you answer from the page instead of from memory. More on that in drivers abstracts for insurance.
Employers hiring for a driving role can ask you to provide the record or have you sign a release and get it themselves. The Ministry of Transportation’s safety manual for commercial operators names both options. The employment guide covers what employers look at. If a request names a CVOR abstract, that is a different record: the CVOR Driver Abstract for commercial drivers.
What is included when you order a drivers abstract?
Your full uncertified 3-year Ontario driver record as a PDF, for $39.99 paid once and delivered instantly by email. No account, no subscription, and the file is yours to keep, print and forward. More on pricing in the guide to what a drivers abstract costs in Ontario.
- $39.99paid onceNo account, no subscription
- 3 yearsof driving history on one record
- InstantPDF by email after paymentOccasional delays can occur
Fill in one short form
Your name exactly as it appears on your licence, your email address and your 15-character licence number from the front of your card (not the 7-digit trillium number on the back).
Pay once at a secure checkout
No account to create, and nothing renews.
Open the PDF in your inbox
Your record arrives instantly after payment. Occasional delays can occur.
Read it, then send it
Check your status, points and convictions, then forward the same PDF to your broker, a new employer or anyone else who asked for it.
Every field on the record is listed in what is on an Ontario drivers abstract. It is the uncertified record, which meets most people’s needs. A certified copy is typically required only for legal reasons, as certified versus uncertified records explains.
Many insurers and employers ask for a record issued within the last 30 days, so order close to the day you send it. The guide on how long a drivers abstract is valid has the detail. If you just want to know what is on it, order your driving abstract online now and read it before anyone else does.
Are websites offering a free Ontario driving record safe?
Not always. A site promising your Ontario driving record for free may be showing you something other than the record, or making money another way, such as from your personal details.
Guard your licence number as well. Anyone who has it can order your 3-year record, and the number gives away personal details: it starts with the first letter of your last name, its 9th and 10th digits are the last two digits of your birth year, and its last two digits are your day of birth. Type it only into a site you trust.
My Drivers Abstract is operated by 2838868 Ontario Ltd., an independent Canadian company. We are not the government and are not affiliated with the Government of Ontario. You can order your drivers abstract in Ontario here in one short form, pay once at a secure checkout and receive your actual 3-year record as a PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Does my free AutoPlus report show my tickets?
It can show conviction codes reported by insurers, grouped as minor, major or serious. But AutoPlus is an insurance database of your policies and claims, not your driving record, so it has no licence status or demerit point total. Those are on your 3-year driver record.
Can I see my demerit points without paying?
Only in part. The online licence status check shows no points, and the first warning letter from the Ministry of Transportation comes at 6 to 8 points on a full licence or 2 to 5 on a novice licence. Your current point total, with the convictions behind it, is printed on your 3-year driver record.
Who else can order my 3-year driving record?
Ontario lets anyone order a 3-year driver record if they provide the driver's licence number. That is how an insurer or employer can get yours directly, and it is why your licence number should only go to people and sites you trust.
Will my employer pay for my drivers abstract?
It depends on the employer. If one asks you to provide the record as part of hiring, ask whether they reimburse it before you order, and keep your payment receipt.
Why buy my own record if my insurer can look it up?
So you know what is on your record before they price your policy, and can list your convictions on the application accurately instead of from memory.
Can I use an old drivers abstract instead of buying a new one?
Only if the person asking accepts its date. An abstract shows your record as of the day it was issued, so anything added since then is missing.
How much does a drivers abstract cost, and how fast does it arrive?
A 3-year Ontario driver record here is $39.99, paid once at a secure checkout, with no account and no subscription. It arrives as a PDF in your inbox instantly after payment. Occasional delays can occur.
Sources: Demerit point warning levels: Ontario Regulation 339/94 (Demerit Point System) under the Highway Traffic Act. Record contents and who can order a 3-year record: the Ministry of Transportation’s description of Ontario driver records. Status check results: the Ministry of Transportation’s online Driver’s Licence Check. Conviction question: the Ontario Application for Automobile Insurance (OAF 1). Employer options: the Ministry of Transportation’s Commercial Vehicle Operators’ Safety Manual. Licence number structure: Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario ID checking guidance. AutoPlus contents and conviction codes: CGI consumer report information.