How do you get a suspended licence reinstated in Ontario?
Clear whatever caused the suspension, pay the reinstatement fee, pass any required tests and wait for the Ministry of Transportation to confirm you are eligible. Once the suspension is lifted, you can renew your licence.
The cause decides the details. A suspension can start at the roadside, by a court order on conviction, or with a suspension letter from the Ministry, and each route has its own way back. The broad order is the same for almost everyone.
Find out exactly what is on file
Know what you are clearing before you pay anything. A current 3-year driver record shows whether your licence still reads suspended, your demerit point total and your convictions from the past three years.
Serve the time and clear the cause
Let any set period run out, pay outstanding fines, and finish any court process or court-ordered program the suspension depends on.
Pay the reinstatement fee
The fee is $281, paid to the Ministry of Transportation. It is not charged after a medical suspension.
Pass any tests the suspension triggers
A full licence suspended for more than a year needs at least an eye test, and longer suspensions need more. The retesting section below has the details.
Keep the paperwork
Hold on to the documents that show the suspension has been lifted, such as the Notice of Suspension letter, a medical letter or an affidavit.
Wait for the go-ahead, then renew
Once you have paid and are eligible, you get a temporary licence and the new card is mailed in 4 to 6 weeks. Once the suspension is lifted, you can renew your licence.
If you want to challenge the conviction behind a suspension, talk to a lawyer or paralegal before you do anything else.
What does reinstatement take for each type of suspension?
Most suspensions have a set length you must serve, and many add a condition on top. A fine suspension lasts until the fines are paid, a Criminal Code suspension until the remedial program is done, and a medical suspension until new medical evidence shows it is safe.
| Suspension | How long it lasts | What gets you reinstated |
|---|---|---|
| Demerit points, full licence (15 or more) | 30 days, counted from the day you surrender your licence. A second one, for an offence within two years after the first ended, is six months. | Serve it. You may need to retake the vision, written and road tests. Your points are then reduced to 7. |
| Demerit points, novice licence (9 or more) | 60 days, and six months for a later one | Serve it. Your points are then reduced to 4. |
| Novice licence conviction (a graduated licensing rule, or an offence worth 4 or more points) | 30 days for a first, 90 days for a second. A third cancels the novice licence. | Serve it. After a cancellation, you start graduated licensing over. |
| Unpaid traffic fine | No set end. It lasts until the fine is paid. | Pay every defaulted fine through the court office that handled it, then the reinstatement fee. The Ministry tells you when you can drive. |
| Alcohol or drugs at the roadside | Warn range (0.05 to 0.079): 7, 14 or 30 days. 0.08 or more, or a refused test: 90 days. | Serve it and pay the administrative penalty ($250 to $550). The education course or treatment program is also required. A third occurrence adds a six-month ignition interlock condition. |
| Criminal Code conviction, such as impaired or dangerous driving | 1 year for a first, 3 years for a second, indefinite for a third (10-year lookback). A court can add time. | Complete the remedial program, such as Back on Track after impaired driving. The licence stays suspended until you do. |
| Handheld device conviction, full licence | 3 days for a first, 7 for a second, 30 for a third or later, applied automatically on conviction | Serve it and pay the reinstatement fee. |
| Stunt driving or street racing | 30 days at the roadside, then at least 1 year on a first conviction | Serve both. A conviction also brings a mandatory driver improvement course. |
| Medical condition | Until new medical evidence shows the condition is not a safety risk | Provide that medical evidence. No reinstatement fee applies. |
Do not skip the surrender step on a points suspension. The 30 days only start when you hand the licence in, and not surrendering it can cost you the licence for up to two years.
After an impaired driving conviction there is more to it: an ignition interlock condition, generally at least a year on a first conviction. For offences on or after July 1, 2026, a minimum six-month “P” condition with no alcohol and no drugs follows once the interlock condition is removed. Some first and second-time alcohol-impaired offenders can shorten the suspension through Ontario’s Reduced Suspension with Ignition Interlock Conduct Review Program. The impaired driving guide has every stage.
Ontario also suspends licences for failing to insure a vehicle, an unpaid claim or court judgment, unpaid child or spousal support, a missed remedial measures program or vision report, and fleeing police. Questions about any suspension go to the Ministry’s Driver Improvement Office. Three causes have guides of their own: suspensions for unpaid fines, medical suspensions and demerit points.
How much is the licence reinstatement fee in Ontario?
$281, paid to the Ministry of Transportation. Ontario charges it every time a licence is suspended, except when the suspension was for a medical reason.
- $281Reinstatement feeCharged for every suspension
- $0After a medical suspensionThe fee does not apply
- 4 to 6 weeksFor the new card by mailOnce paid and eligible, a temporary licence comes first
The fee is not the only amount to settle. These are paid separately:
- Defaulted traffic fines, paid in full through the court office that handled each ticket. You cannot renew your licence until they are.
- Roadside penalties for alcohol or drugs: $250, $350 or $450 for warn range suspensions, and $550 for a 90-day suspension.
Do you have to retake your tests after a suspension?
Only after a long one, or when the suspension itself requires it. A full licence suspended for 1 to 3 years needs an eye test, 3 to 10 years needs the written test, an eye test and both road tests, and more than 10 years means starting over as a new driver.
- 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, with all mandatory waiting periods
Length is not the only trigger. After a demerit point suspension you may need to retake the vision, written and road tests, and a third novice conviction cancels the licence outright, which sends you back to the start of graduated licensing.
Can you drive while you wait for reinstatement?
No. Until the Ministry of Transportation confirms your licence is reinstated, you are still suspended, and paying the fines or the fee does not by itself make you eligible to drive.
It is illegal to drive in Ontario on a suspended, cancelled or expired licence, and making sure yours is valid before you drive is your responsibility. If you have appealed the conviction behind a suspension, the Ministry may take up to 15 business days, sometimes longer, to process the documents, and your status stays suspended while it does.
Borrowing a car does not get around it. Under Ontario’s vehicle impoundment rules, owners are responsible for not letting a suspended driver use their vehicle, and people who lend or rent out vehicles can verify that a licence is valid before handing over the keys.
Reinstated with an ignition interlock condition? You may drive only vehicles fitted with an approved interlock device until the condition is removed. The guide to checking your licence status explains what each result of Ontario’s online check means, including Valid with Ignition Interlock.
Does a suspension stay on your record after you are reinstated?
Yes. Reinstatement ends the suspension, not the entry. Your 3-year driver record lists suspensions and reinstatements from the past three years, so the suspension stays on it, along with the reinstatement, until it falls outside that window.
What a record issued after reinstatement shows
- Your licence status as of the day the copy is issued
- The suspension and the reinstatement, for three years
- The conviction behind the suspension, if it is from the past 3 years
- Your demerit point total, cut to no more than 7 (full) or 4 (novice) after a points suspension
- The licence conditions and endorsements on file
What reinstatement does not do
- Remove the suspension from the 3-year history
- Remove the conviction that caused it
- Reset your demerit points to zero
- Change what you tell an insurer about the last 6 years
One exception runs the other way: expired medical suspensions are not listed on the 3-year record at all. Ontario does not publish the exact wording of each entry, so the only way to see how your suspension and reinstatement read is a current copy of your Ontario drivers abstract.
If an entry looks wrong, for example a suspension you never had, read what to do if your Ontario driving record is wrong.
How do you prove your licence has been reinstated?
Send a 3-year driver record issued after the Ministry confirms your reinstatement. A record keeps the status it had on the day it was issued, so any copy from while you were suspended still says suspended.
A copy issued while you were suspended
- Status reads suspended
- No reinstatement listed yet
- Tells an insurer or employer you still cannot drive
A fresh 3-year driver record
- Your licence status on the day it is issued
- The suspension listed with its reinstatement
- Your current demerit point total
- Convictions from the past 3 years
Time it right. Order once you have the Ministry’s go-ahead; a record issued before the reinstatement goes through will still show you as suspended. The guide on how long a drivers abstract is valid covers how recent a copy needs to be.
Insurers will ask regardless. The standard Ontario auto insurance application asks whether any licence in the household was suspended or cancelled in the last 6 years, and for every conviction from the last 3.
If you dropped your coverage while suspended, a gap caused by a licence suspension after a driving conviction is one of the few kinds of lapse Ontario lets an insurer use in pricing. See drivers abstracts for insurance and how far back insurers check your record.
For a driving job, the 3-year record is the one most commonly used for employment; see drivers abstracts for employment. Commercial drivers may also be asked for the CVOR Driver Abstract, which shows licence status and medical due date alongside up to five years of commercial driving in Ontario.
Get your driving record online for $39.99, paid once. One short form, no account, and the PDF arrives in your inbox instantly after payment. Occasional delays can occur.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a licence reinstated in Ontario?
It depends on the suspension. A set period has to run out and any conditions have to be met, while a suspension for unpaid fines lasts until the fines and the fee are paid. When you pay the reinstatement fee and are eligible, you get a temporary licence and the new card is mailed in 4 to 6 weeks.
Is the $281 reinstatement fee charged for every suspension?
Ontario charges a licence reinstatement fee every time a licence is suspended. The one exception is a medical suspension, where the fee does not apply.
Can I drive as soon as my suspension period is over?
Only once your licence is actually reinstated. After a Criminal Code conviction, the licence stays suspended until the remedial program is complete, even if the time has run out, and paying fines or the fee does not by itself make you eligible to drive.
Do expired medical suspensions show on my driving record?
No. Expired medical suspensions are left off the 3-year driver record. Other suspensions stay listed, along with their reinstatement, for the past three years.
Do I have to tell my insurer about a suspension after I am reinstated?
Expect to be asked. The standard Ontario auto insurance application asks whether any licence in the household was suspended or cancelled in the last 6 years, and reinstatement does not change that answer. Answer it honestly.
Who do I contact with questions about my suspension?
Questions about a suspension go to the Ministry of Transportation's Driver Improvement Office. Unpaid fines are confirmed and paid through the court office that handled each ticket, and a lawyer or paralegal can advise on a conviction you want to challenge.
What happens if I leave the reinstatement fee unpaid?
The licence is cancelled instead of reinstated. Ontario cancels a licence when the reinstatement fee or an administrative monetary penalty goes unpaid after a suspension.
Do I have to hand in my licence for a demerit point suspension?
Yes. The suspension period runs from the date you surrender your licence, and the Ministry of Transportation letter gives the effective date. If you do not surrender it, you can lose your licence for up to two years.
Sources: Reinstatement steps, the reinstatement fee, retesting rules, temporary licences and defaulted fines: Ministry of Transportation published guidance on reinstating a suspended licence and on paying defaulted fines. Fine default and reinstatement: Provincial Offences Act, section 69, and Highway Traffic Act, section 46. Demerit point suspensions and point reductions: Ontario Regulation 339/94 (Demerit Point System). Criminal Code, alcohol and drug suspensions: Highway Traffic Act, sections 41, 48 and 48.3, and the Ministry’s impaired driving and ignition interlock guidance. Handheld devices: Highway Traffic Act, section 78.1. Stunt driving: Highway Traffic Act, section 172. Medical reporting: Highway Traffic Act, section 203. Driving while suspended, cancellation and vehicle owners: Highway Traffic Act, section 53, and the MTO Driver’s Handbook. Record contents: Ministry of Transportation description of the 3-year driver record. Insurance: the standard Ontario Application for Automobile Insurance (OAF 1) and Regulation 664 under the Insurance Act.