It’s illegal to drive in Ontario on an expired driver’s licence, full stop. If your licence has been expired for less than a year, though, renewing it is straightforward: no extra test, just the standard $90 renewal, done online or at a ServiceOntario centre.
Driving on an expired licence is illegal
Ontario’s rule has no built-in exception: it is illegal to drive with an expired, cancelled, or suspended driver’s licence. There’s no grace period that lets you keep driving past the expiry date printed on the card. The only fix is to renew before you get back behind the wheel.
What renewal requires, by how long it’s been expired
Ontario scales the renewal requirement to how long the licence has been lapsed. Expired less than a year, and a standard renewal is all it takes, no extra testing mentioned. Expired 1 to 3 years, and you need a vision test. Expired 3 to 10 years, and Ontario requires a vision test, a written knowledge test, and two road tests, the G1 and G2 tests. Expired more than 10 years, and you can’t fast-track back onto a full licence at all: Ontario requires you to reapply as a new driver and serve every mandatory waiting period from scratch.
How to renew an Ontario licence
Renewal costs $90 for a 5-year licence, and the new card arrives by mail in 4 to 6 weeks. Licences that expired on or after March 1, 2020, may be eligible to renew online; anything that expired before that date has to be renewed in person. Renew online within 28 days of your licence’s expiry date, and Ontario issues a temporary driver’s licence validation document to cover you while the physical card is in the mail.
FAQ
Is there a grace period to drive in Ontario on an expired licence? No. Ontario states plainly that driving on an expired, cancelled, or suspended licence is illegal, with no grace period.
Do I need a test to renew an Ontario licence? Ontario’s testing tiers start at 1 year expired: 1 to 3 years needs a vision test, and 3 to 10 years adds a written knowledge test and two road tests. Under a year, the page lists no extra test, just the standard renewal.
Can I renew my Ontario licence online? Yes, if it expired on or after March 1, 2020. Anything expired before that date needs an in-person renewal.
Never let an Ontario licence catch you out
Add your Ontario driver’s licence expiry date to LapseGuard once and get a reminder while renewal still just means a form and $90, not a vision test. Free, on your device, no account.
Related reading: How long does a Canadian passport renewal take? and How early can you renew a PR card?