A) PHOTO :
A photograph of the licence holder is on all N.S. Driver's Licences.
Under certain circumstances, you can get an exemption (and a licence with no photo on it). For more information, contact the Department (see Where can you get ...., above).
(a) You have to give that number when you call to make an appointment for your road test. If you don't have it, you will not get an appointment.![License License](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125884256/333794611.jpg)
For more information on any matters discussed in this section, contact the Department (see Where can you get ..., above).
The Registry of Motor Vehicles has many programs and processes in place to address the issuance and maintenance of a driver's licence. Helpful information regarding the procedures for obtaining a driver's licence under Nova Scotia's Graduated Licensing system is available below.
A photograph of the licence holder is on all N.S. Driver's Licences.
Under certain circumstances, you can get an exemption (and a licence with no photo on it). For more information, contact the Department (see Where can you get ...., above).
B) MARKINGS :
A Newly Licensed Driver's Licence has a large letter 'N' on it to alert police that you are a Newly Licensed Driver.
A Newly Licensed Driver's Licence has a large letter 'N' on it to alert police that you are a Newly Licensed Driver.
C) SPECIAL DRIVING RESTRICTIONS :
(1) First restriction -- zero blood alcohol level: When you have a Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, the tolerance for alcohol content in your blood when you are driving is ZERO. That means: if you are stopped while driving, and asked to take a breathalyzer test, and it shows ANY ALCOHOL CONTENT AT ALL in your blood, your licence will be suspended for 6 months. If your blood alcohol level is over .05, you may get an immediate 24-hour roadside suspension ; if it is over .08, you will be arrested and your licence will be suspended for a full year. And after your suspension is over, you will have to start over as a Newly Licensed Driver; see (D) Points & Suspensions ..., below.
(1) First restriction -- zero blood alcohol level: When you have a Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, the tolerance for alcohol content in your blood when you are driving is ZERO. That means: if you are stopped while driving, and asked to take a breathalyzer test, and it shows ANY ALCOHOL CONTENT AT ALL in your blood, your licence will be suspended for 6 months. If your blood alcohol level is over .05, you may get an immediate 24-hour roadside suspension ; if it is over .08, you will be arrested and your licence will be suspended for a full year. And after your suspension is over, you will have to start over as a Newly Licensed Driver; see (D) Points & Suspensions ..., below.
For more information on breath samples and roadside suspension, see Driver's Licence, (D) Failing a Breathalyzer Test.
(2) Second restriction -- front seat of vehicle: When a Newly Licensed Driver is driving, there can be only 1 other person in the front seat of the vehicle.
(3) Third restriction -- positions and seat belts: When a Newly Licensed Driver is driving, every single passenger must be sitting, and every single passenger must have a seat belt on. Front seat and back seat. There cannot be more people in the car than there are seat belts.
For information on the special rules dealing with infants and small children, contact the Department. (See Where can you get ...., above)
(4) Fourth restriction -- late-night driving: A Newly Licensed Driver is not allowed to drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless they meet one of the two following conditions:
(a) they are accompanied by an 'supervising driver' -- who has to be sitting in the front seat of the vehicle.Note: not just every driver counts as an 'supervising driver! [For details, see the Learner's Licence, Additional Information (C-2).](b) or they have gotten a written exemption from the Department because of their job. A Form APP33 Application for Exemption from Nightime Driving Curfew must be properly completed, signed and submitted with the fee of $33.10 to request the exemption.For more information on this Curfew Exemption, contact the Department (see Where can you get ..., above).
D) POINTS & SUSPENSIONS :
Nova Scotia has a demerit point system for drivers, and this applies to Newly Licensed Drivers. If you are caught breaking a driving law (for example, by going through a stop sign, or not wearing a seat belt, or speeding ....), then you will get demerit points on your licence.
Nova Scotia has a demerit point system for drivers, and this applies to Newly Licensed Drivers. If you are caught breaking a driving law (for example, by going through a stop sign, or not wearing a seat belt, or speeding ....), then you will get demerit points on your licence.
If you get 6 or more points on your licence, it will be suspended for 6 months .
After your suspension is over, then, no matter how long you already had your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, you will have to go through the full 'waiting period' again. That means, you will have to wait 2 full years from the time that your suspension is over before you can graduate to a regular driver's licence.
For more information on points & suspensions contact the Department (see Where can you get ..., above.)
E) GRADUATION to the next level of driver's licence:
After your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, the next level in the graduated licensing system is the restricted individual stage. There are 2 things you have to do before a newly Licensed Driver can graduate to that licence:
After your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, the next level in the graduated licensing system is the restricted individual stage. There are 2 things you have to do before a newly Licensed Driver can graduate to that licence:
(a) Waiting period: you have to wait at least 2 full years;
(b) Course: you have to successfully complete an approved Driver Improvement Program (sometimes called the 'defensive driving' course);
There are 2 kinds of Driver Improvement Programs -- a full course and a short course. These are explained in the N.S. Driver's Handbook, or you can contact the Department for information. (See Where can you get ....., above.) Note: you must give the Department a copy of the Certificate you get when you pass the Driver Improvement Program. (This is kept in the Department records.)
F) ROAD TEST (Driving Examination):
This examination will test your actual driving skill, and will be conducted by an Driver Enhancement Officer from Service Nova Scotia.
This examination will test your actual driving skill, and will be conducted by an Driver Enhancement Officer from Service Nova Scotia.
Arranging for a road test: There are 2 steps: (1) pay for the test, and (2) make an appointment.
Paying for the road test:
(a) You have to pay a fee to take a road test, and you have to pay it before you can make an appointment. The fee is $53.00 (tax included).
(b) You can pay for your road test online or at any Registry of Motor Vehicles Service Location or by mail (See Where can you get ....., above.) you cannot pay for it over the phone.
Keeping your Receipt: When you pay for the road test, you will get a numbered receipt (sometimes called a 'Driver Examination Receipt' and sometimes a 'road test receipt').(a) You have to give that number when you call to make an appointment for your road test. If you don't have it, you will not get an appointment.
(b) You have to take the receipt with you when you go for your road test. If you forget it, the road test will be cancelled (unless you buy another one).
Booking an appointment: You cannot take a road test unless you MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ahead of time.
The only way to make an appointment is to call one of these two numbers:
Vehicle: When you come to the office for your road test, you have to bring a vehicle (car, pick-up, sport utility vehicle, van or motorcycle) which is: (a) in good mechanical condition, and (b) which has a valid Motor Vehicle Inspection sticker [commonly called a 'safety sticker'].
Before the road test starts, the vehicle will be checked by the Examiner. (If you want to know what the Examiner will be checking, a list of the items is attached to your road test receipt.) If the safety sticker is out of date, or if the Examiner does not think the vehicle is in good mechanical condition, the appointment will be cancelled.
Note: Whenever possible, the vehicle you bring should be the one you intend to drive after you get your licence. (However, Driving Schools usually supply the vehicles when their students take a road test.)
Documents: When you come for the road test, you have to bring 4 papers with you:
(1) your current Driver's Licence : and (2) the Vehicle Permit for the vehicle you are using in the road test; and
(3) the Insurance Card for that vehicle; and
(4) your numbered Driver Examination Receipt (which proves that you have paid for the road test).
Unless you have all 4 documents -- AND unless the first 3 are still valid -- the appointment will be cancelled. Getting to the road test: There are 2 key things to remember here:
(a) You cannot drive to your road test by yourself; you are still a Learner Driver, and you still have to have an 'supervising driver' with you [see Learner's Licence, Additional Information (C-2)]; and
(b) If you are late, there is a very good chance that your appointment will be cancelled, and you will have to make another appointment.
Passing the road test: Detailed information on the road test -- just what it involves, and what you have to do to pass -- is given in the N.S. Driver's Handbook . (To get a copy of the handbook see Where can you get ....,above.)
What if you don't pass? If you fail a road test, you have to wait at least 7 full days before you can take another one. You also have to: (1) pay for another test & get another numbered receipt; and (2) book another appointment.
G) MASTER NUMBER: When you see the term 'Client Master Number' on an application form, this refers to the number on your Driver's Licence under the heading 'Master D M Y'. This 14-digit number is made up of (a) the first 5 letters of your last name [if your last name has fewer than 5 letters, the difference is made up with spaces]; (b) plus the day / month / year of your birth; (c) plus 3 computer-assigned numbers.
For example: FOY--220867001 [3 letters (Foy) + 2 spaces + 22 (for 22nd) + 08 (for August, 8th month of the year) + 67 (for 1967) + 001 (3 computer-assigned numbers) ]For master numbers assigned to a group of individuals (joint ownership), the last 9 digits are computer-assigned.
H) PENALTIES FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING:
No matter how long you have had your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, if you are charged with a 24-hour roadside suspension, or if you are convicted of violating the zero blood alcohol level [see section (C) above], you will have to start your two-year waiting period again. There are no exceptions.
No matter how long you have had your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, if you are charged with a 24-hour roadside suspension, or if you are convicted of violating the zero blood alcohol level [see section (C) above], you will have to start your two-year waiting period again. There are no exceptions.
For more information see Driver's Licence, section (D) Failing a Breathalyzer Test, and (K) Penalties for Impaired Driving...
I) OTHER INFORMATION: ![License License](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125884256/333794611.jpg)
For more information on any matters discussed in this section, contact the Department (see Where can you get ..., above).
Nova Scotia
Building upon existing provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, the graduated driver licensing system is a comprehensive approach which addresses driver training and education; skills and knowledge testing; driver improvement programs and the issue of driver inexperience.
Graduated licensing is a system which places driving conditions on the beginner driver. As these conditions are gradually and systematically removed, exposure to increasingly risky situations is gradually phased in. Rather than being exposed to the full range of driving hazards at once, the novice driver is eased into full unrestricted driving situations with more competence and more experience to handle unexpected events.
For the Passenger Vehicle
How To Get Your Learner's (Class 7) Permit
Obtain a copy of the Nova Scotia Driver's Handbook from a Registry of Motor Vehicles office. Click here to view the handbook online. http://www.novascotia.ca/sns/rmv/licence/handbook.asp
Turn 16, bring two pieces of identification with you, including birth certificate/passport, and write the test at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
You will be tested on traffic laws, the rules of the road, recognition and understanding of lights, signs, and safety indicators. You must achieve at least 80% to pass. You must also pass a vision test.
Operating conditions/restrictions at this stage
Turn 16, bring two pieces of identification with you, including birth certificate/passport, and write the test at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
You will be tested on traffic laws, the rules of the road, recognition and understanding of lights, signs, and safety indicators. You must achieve at least 80% to pass. You must also pass a vision test.
Operating conditions/restrictions at this stage
For Class 7 or 8 licences, the Learner's stage of the system lasts for 12 months, which may be reduced by 3 months if a recognized driver education or training program is completed.
No passengers, except an experienced driver who holds at least a Class 5 unrestricted licence.
Zero blood alcohol level for the learning driver.
Pass the road test
No passengers, except an experienced driver who holds at least a Class 5 unrestricted licence.
Zero blood alcohol level for the learning driver.
Pass the road test
Newly Licensed Phase
Once a road test has been successfully completed, the learner becomes Newly Licensed for a minimum of two years.
Operating conditions/restrictions
Zero blood alcohol level for the newly licensed driver.
Only one front seat passenger and rear seat(s) passengers limited to the number of available seat belts.
No upgrade beyond a Class 5 driver's licence.
No driving between 12am and 5am, unless accompanied by unrestricted driver.
A newly licensed driver may apply for an exemption from the night time driving curfew for employment purposes. The driver must take the most direct route to and from work, and is not permitted to have any passengers in the vehicle. A Form APP33 Application for Exemption from Nightime Driving Curfew must be properly completed, signed and submitted to the Registry of Motor Vehicles office with the applicable fee.
Only one front seat passenger and rear seat(s) passengers limited to the number of available seat belts.
No upgrade beyond a Class 5 driver's licence.
No driving between 12am and 5am, unless accompanied by unrestricted driver.
A newly licensed driver may apply for an exemption from the night time driving curfew for employment purposes. The driver must take the most direct route to and from work, and is not permitted to have any passengers in the vehicle. A Form APP33 Application for Exemption from Nightime Driving Curfew must be properly completed, signed and submitted to the Registry of Motor Vehicles office with the applicable fee.
How to Graduate
To 'graduate' from the newly licence phase, the driver must successfully complete a recognized Defensive Driving Course. This recognized course would be a minimum 6 hour classroom course (N1) or a completion certificate from a driver training course meeting the minimum provincial guidelines as set by the road safety programs division. A copy of the proof of completion must be provided, in person or by mail, to any Registry of Motor Vehicles office for recording purposes.
Following 2 years plus a day from the issue of the Class 5N licence, the road test date, they would be eligible to upgrade to the restricted individual phase, Class 5R licence provided a course has been completed and recorded. The restrictions can be removed 2 years from the date of getting the Class 5R licence.
Licence suspensions will delay graduation to the next phase by 2 years from the date the licence is reinstated.
A demerit point system will remain in effect for newly licensed drivers. These drivers will be subject to driver improvement action much earlier than is the case for experienced drivers.