Can you get someone else’s driving record in Ontario?
Yes. You get the same 3-year record the driver would get for themselves, ordered with their name and licence number.
Ontario does not limit the 3-year record to the driver: anyone who provides the driver’s licence number can order it. It is the record most people mean by a drivers abstract and the one employers commonly use, and it covers the same three years of convictions the standard Ontario auto insurance application asks about.
The other Ontario driver records, the licence history and the 5-year, extended and complete records, are restricted to the driver and specific requesters such as police, lawyers and the Crown Attorney’s office. The table further down shows who can get which.
Ordering an Ontario drivers abstract for another driver takes the same short form as ordering your own, and the PDF arrives instantly by email.
Who orders a driver abstract for someone else?
Usually someone whose insurance, liability or business depends on another person’s driving: parents of new drivers, employers and fleet managers, spouses on a shared policy, and car owners or caregivers.
Parents of new drivers
- Confirm their class (G1, G2 or G) and that the status is licensed
- See any convictions and points picked up on a novice licence
- Answer the insurance application from the record, not from memory
Employers and fleet managers
- Check the class covers the vehicle the job needs
- Read convictions, suspensions and the point total in one place
- MTO tells commercial operators to get an abstract at hiring and at least yearly
Spouses and partners
- Compare both records before a quote or renewal
- Spot an active fine suspension before it causes trouble
- Make sure the answers on the application match both records
Car owners and caregivers
- Owners are responsible for not letting a suspended driver use their vehicle
- Check the status before handing over the keys
- Adult children can confirm an older parent’s status and class
Insurance and hiring are the two usual reasons. The standard Ontario auto insurance application asks for all convictions of the applicant and every listed driver from the last three years, which is exactly the window a 3-year record covers. More on that in drivers abstracts for insurance. For hiring, see drivers abstracts for employers.
What do you need to order another person’s driving record?
Two details from the driver: their name exactly as it is printed on their licence and their 15-character licence number. You add the email address where the PDF should go.
| Detail | Where it comes from | Get it right |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | The front of their licence card | First, middle and last names as printed, even if they go by a nickname or a different surname day to day |
| Licence number | The front of the card: one letter, then 14 digits, printed like A1234-56789-01234 | The 7-digit number on the back is a different number. Dashes are optional on our form |
| Email address | You | Where the PDF is delivered. It can be yours or the driver’s |
Two quick checks help catch typos. The letter at the start is the first letter of the driver’s last name, and the two digits on either side of the second hyphen are the last two digits of their birth year. The final two digits are their day of birth.
Do you need the driver’s permission?
Ontario’s rule for the 3-year record is the licence number: anyone who provides it can order. Asking the driver first is still the right way to do it, and you usually need them for the number anyway.
Good practice when you order for someone else
- Ask the driver first and tell them why you need it
- Get the licence number from them, copied from their card
- Send them a copy, so you are both reading the same record
- Keep it private: it shows their date of birth and licence details
- Delete it once you no longer need it
Lines not to cross
- Ordering a record to keep tabs on an ex, a neighbour or a stranger
- Using a licence number from a photo or document nobody gave you
- Passing the PDF to people with no reason to see it
Employers have a ready-made way to handle this. MTO’s safety manual for commercial operators says drivers should give the operator a current abstract or sign a release allowing the operator to get it. A signed release on file means the driver has agreed in writing.
What will another driver’s record show you?
The same 3-year record the driver would get: their licence status, class, conditions and expiry date, their demerit point total, and three years of convictions, suspensions and reinstatements.
| On the record | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Status | Whether they are licensed, unlicensed or suspended |
| Licence class | What they may drive: G1, G2 or G for cars, M for motorcycles, A to F for trucks and buses |
| Conditions and endorsements | Requirements and extras, such as glasses or contact lenses to drive, or air brakes |
| Expiry date | When the licence must be renewed. Driving on an expired licence is illegal |
| Earliest licence date available | A guide to how long they have been licensed |
| Demerit point total | Points from convictions, which count for two years from the offence date |
| Convictions, past 3 years | Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code of Canada convictions |
| Suspensions and reinstatements, past 3 years | Any suspension, and when the licence was reinstated |
| Active fine suspensions | A suspension for an unpaid court fine that is still in force |
Read the points and the convictions separately. Points count for two years from the offence date, but the record lists three years of convictions, so a driver with zero points can still have a conviction on file.
The layout is explained line by line in how to read an Ontario driver abstract. To know what one particular driver’s record says, get their driving record online.
How often should you check another driver’s record?
Before each new decision, such as hiring a driver or adding someone to a policy, and at least once a year for anyone who keeps driving for you.
- 30 daysA common recency requestMany insurers and employers ask for a record issued within the last 30 days
- Every yearMTO advice to commercial operatorsGet a driving abstract when hiring a driver, and at least every year after
- 3 yearsOf convictions an insurer asks aboutFor the applicant and every listed driver, on the standard Ontario application
A record is a snapshot of the day it was issued. A conviction entered next week will not be on today’s copy, which is why a recent record beats an old one sitting in a file. The guide on how long a drivers abstract is valid covers the timing.
Lending your car is the other trigger. Ontario’s Driver’s Handbook notes that owners are responsible under the Vehicle-Impoundment Program for not letting suspended drivers use their vehicles. For a yes or no on whether a licence is valid today, see checking an Ontario licence status. The 3-year record adds the history behind that answer.
Which Ontario driving records can’t you order for someone else?
The driver’s licence history and the 5-year, extended and complete driver records. Each is limited to the driver and specific requesters, such as a Canadian law enforcement agency, lawyers or the Crown Attorney’s office.
| Record | What it covers | Who can order it |
|---|---|---|
| 3-year driver record | Licence details, demerit point total, and 3 years of convictions, suspensions and reinstatements | Anyone who provides the driver’s licence number |
| Driver’s licence history | Licence details, replacements, renewals and class changes, driver education, and past and current addresses. No convictions or points | The driver, or a Canadian law enforcement agency |
| 5-year driver record | Highway Traffic Act convictions for 3 years and Criminal Code convictions for 5 years. Mailed only, to the driver’s address on file | The driver, lawyers, or a Canadian law enforcement agency |
| Extended driver record | All convictions, suspensions and reinstatements, as far back as available | The driver, a Canadian law enforcement agency, or the Crown Attorney’s office |
| Complete driver record | Everything in the extended record, plus all collisions and all recorded addresses | The driver, or the Crown Attorney’s office |
So if you need more than three years of history, or the driver’s addresses, the driver has to order it. Most people asked for an abstract need the 3-year record anyway. The differences are laid out in Ontario driver record types compared and driver abstract versus licence history.
Hiring commercial drivers? Ontario makes the CVOR Driver Abstract available to the general public, not just the driver. It covers up to five years of the driver’s commercial driving in Ontario: convictions, inspections and collisions linked to a safety-related conviction, plus licence status, class and medical due date. The CVOR Driver Abstract is $39.99 here.
How do you order a driving record for someone else?
Use the same form as for your own record: enter the driver’s name and licence number, add the email where the PDF should go, and pay once. The record arrives by email instantly after payment.
Ask the driver for their details
Their first, middle and last names as printed on the licence, and the 15-character number from the front of the card.
Enter the driver’s details, not yours
The name and licence number fields are for the person whose record you want. Dashes in the number are optional.
Choose where the PDF goes
Enter your own email address, or the driver’s if they should receive it directly.
Pay once at secure checkout
$39.99, paid once. No account and no subscription.
Open the PDF and share it
It arrives by email instantly after payment. Occasional delays can occur. Send the driver a copy so you are both working from the same record.
Each order covers one driver, so a parent checking two teens or a manager checking a crew places one order per licence number.
It is the uncertified 3-year record, the version that meets most needs. A certified record carries a Ministry of Transportation seal and is typically required only for legal reasons.
Have their details? Order a 3-year driver record for the driver you need to check, for $39.99. The PDF lands in your inbox instantly after payment.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check my teenager's driving record in Ontario?
Yes. With their name as it appears on their licence and their licence number, you can order their 3-year driver record. It shows their licence class (G1, G2 or G), their status, their demerit point total and any convictions or suspensions from the past three years.
Can I find out where someone lives from their driving record?
No. The 3-year driver record does not include the driver's address. Ontario leaves the residential address off most driver records to protect the driver's privacy.
Can I get someone's driving record with just their name?
No. A 3-year driver record is ordered with the driver's licence number, and a name alone is not enough. Ask the driver for the 15-character number on the front of their card.
Can I order my spouse's drivers abstract for our car insurance?
Yes, with their name and licence number, and it is good practice to ask them first. The standard Ontario insurance application asks about convictions for every listed driver from the last three years, which is the same window the 3-year record covers.
Can an employer get a driver's 5-year record?
Not directly. The 5-year driver record can be ordered only by the driver, lawyers or a Canadian law enforcement agency, and it is mailed to the driver's address on file. The 3-year record is the one commonly used for employment, and for commercial drivers the five-year CVOR Driver Abstract is available to the general public.
Is it legal to look up someone's driving record in Ontario?
Ontario lets anyone order a 3-year driver record if they provide the driver's licence number. How you use what it shows can raise privacy or employment questions, which a lawyer can advise on, and by ordering here you confirm you are legally permitted to request the record.
Can I get someone else's licence history?
No. A driver's licence history can only be ordered by the driver themselves or by a Canadian law enforcement agency. It also has no convictions or demerit points on it, so the 3-year record is usually the one you want.
Who receives the PDF when I order a record for another driver?
Whoever owns the email address you enter on the form, which can be yours or the driver's. It arrives by email instantly after payment. Occasional delays can occur.
Sources: Who can order each record, and what the 3-year record, licence history and longer-term records contain: the Ontario government’s descriptions of its driver records. Licence number format: Ministry of Transportation; the last-name initial and birth-date digits: Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario guidance on checking ID. Demerit points: Ontario Regulation 339/94 and the MTO Driver’s Handbook. Hiring and yearly abstract checks, and driver releases: MTO Commercial Vehicle Operators’ Safety Manual. Vehicle owners and suspended drivers: MTO Driver’s Handbook. Listed drivers’ convictions: the standard Ontario auto insurance application (OAF 1). CVOR Driver Abstract: Ministry of Transportation.