How to get a driver abstract in Ontario

Before you start: what you need

Every method requires the same core information, so it is worth collecting it before you begin rather than abandoning a half-finished request.

• Your driver’s licence number. Fifteen characters: one letter followed by fourteen digits, printed on the front of your licence. It also appears on your renewal notice and on most insurance paperwork if your card is not to hand.
• Your name exactly as it appears on the licence. Including any middle name. A mismatch is the most common reason a request fails to return a record.
• Your date of birth.
• A payment method and an email address if you are ordering online and want the document delivered electronically.

Decide which record you actually need

Ontario issues several different driving records, and requesting the wrong one wastes both time and the fee. Ask whoever requested the document which version they accept, rather than guessing.

• Uncertified 3-year driver record. The most commonly requested version, covering roughly the past three years of convictions and demerit points. This is what insurers and most employers ask for, and what you can get as an Ontario drivers abstract online here for $19.99.
• Certified driver record. A formally certified copy for legal or court matters where certification is explicitly required. See certified versus uncertified records for the distinction.
• Complete driver record. Covers your full driving history rather than the recent window.
• Driver’s licence history. A different document showing licensing status over time rather than convictions, explained in driver abstract versus licence history.

Ordering online, step by step

An uncertified 3-year record is generated the moment payment clears, so there is no processing queue to wait behind and no appointment to book. The whole request takes about a minute to complete, starting from the Ontario drivers abstract page.

1. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your licence, including any middle name.
2. Enter your 15-character licence number. Dashes are optional, the format is checked as you type.
3. Give the email address the PDF should be delivered to.
4. Confirm your details and pay. Payment is handled by Stripe, so card details never touch this site.
5. Watch your inbox. The finished record arrives as a PDF you can save, print or forward straight on.

Because it is fully online, this works outside business hours, which matters when an insurer or employer asks for a record at short notice on a Friday evening.

How long it takes

Most orders are delivered within minutes of payment. The record itself is produced instantly; the small amount of time involved is preparing and emailing the PDF to you.

Delays are uncommon and usually come from one of two things: details that do not match the licence exactly, or an overnight order placed while the provincial record system is briefly unavailable for maintenance. Both are covered in how long an Ontario driver abstract takes.

Common problems and how to avoid them

• Name entered differently from the licence. Use exactly what is printed on the card, including the middle name. This is the single most frequent cause of a failed request.
• Transposed licence number. The number is long and easy to mistype. Check it character by character against the card before submitting.
• Requesting the wrong record type. If the organisation asked for a certified copy, an uncertified one may be rejected and you will have to start over.
• An out-of-date record. Some insurers and employers want a record issued within the last 30 days. Order it when you actually need it rather than reusing an old copy.

What the record will show

A 3-year uncertified record lists your licence status, class and expiry, along with convictions, suspensions and current demerit points from the covered period. It does not list every collision you have been involved in, a point covered in does a driver abstract show accidents. For a walkthrough of the layout, see how to read your driver abstract.