Who Can Drive With a G1 Driver? Ontario Accompanying Driver Rules

In Ontario, the person who drives with a G1 driver must hold a valid Class G licence (or a higher class), have at least four years of driving experience, and have a blood alcohol level under .05 while they supervise you. If that person is 21 or under, their blood alcohol level should be zero. A G2 or G1 driver can't be your accompanying driver, because they aren't fully licensed.

This post looks at the rule from the supervisor's side: who qualifies and who doesn't, what the accompanying driver has to do in the car, and what happens to you if you drive with someone who doesn't qualify. Everything here comes from the Official MTO Driver's Handbook, the ontario.ca new drivers page and the regulation behind them, O. Reg. 340/94.

G1 accompanying driver requirements

The handbook sets out the rule in one sentence:

"The accompanying driver must have a valid Class G (or higher) licence, at least four years of driving experience and a blood-alcohol level of less than .05% when accompanying you."

Ontario.ca says the same thing in a list: you must drive with a fully licensed driver who has at least four years of driving experience and a blood alcohol level of less than .05, and it adds that "if this person is 21 and under, their blood alcohol level should be zero."

Put together, your accompanying driver must:

1. Hold a valid, full Class G licence or a higher class (A, B, C, D, E or F). It can't be suspended.
2. Have at least four years of driving experience. Time on a valid G2 counts (see below).
3. Have a blood alcohol level under .05 the whole time you're driving, or zero if they're 21 or under.
4. Sit in the front passenger seat, and be the only other person in the front.

The regulation uses slightly different words for the same rules. It says the accompanying driver must be "a fully licensed driver in a Class G motor vehicle" and must have been licensed "in Ontario or another jurisdiction for at least four years." It defines a fully licensed driver as someone who, while driving that class of vehicle, "is not subject to novice conditions." That definition is the reason G1 and G2 drivers are ruled out.

Who qualifies? A quick yes/no table

Can a G2 supervise a G1?

No. The handbook requires a "valid Class G (or higher) licence," and ontario.ca says you must drive with a "fully licensed driver." A G2 is the second level of graduated licensing, and G2 drivers still have their own conditions, so they aren't fully licensed. It doesn't matter how long the G2 driver has been driving or whether they're a family member.

The same goes for another G1 driver. Two G1 drivers can't supervise each other.

Does time on a G2 count toward the four years?

Yes. The handbook says so directly:

"Time spent at the Class G2 level, as long as the G2 licence was valid (not suspended), does count toward the accompanying driver’s four years of experience."

So the four years can include time your supervisor spent on a valid G2 before they passed their G road test. They still need a full G (or higher) on the day they supervise you, though. Time spent at G2 counts toward the four years, but a G2 licence on its own doesn't qualify anyone to supervise.

The handbook only mentions G2 time. It doesn't say whether time spent at the G1 level counts toward the four years. If your supervisor is close to the four-year mark and their G1 time would make the difference, check with DriveTest or ServiceOntario before you rely on it.

Can my parent with a foreign licence supervise my G1?

The official pages don't give a clear yes or no.

Here is what the regulation does say:

• The four years can be counted from being licensed "in Ontario or another jurisdiction," so licensing time outside Ontario counts toward the four years.
• The accompanying driver must hold a Class A, B, C, D, E, F or G driver's licence "or its equivalent authorizing the holder to drive the motor vehicle."

What it doesn't say is which licences from outside Ontario count as that "equivalent." The handbook and the ontario.ca new drivers page only mention a "valid Class G (or higher) licence" and a "fully licensed driver," and neither page mentions foreign licences in this context. If your parent drives on a licence from another country, ask DriveTest or ServiceOntario before you drive with them. If they're planning to switch to an Ontario licence anyway, our guide to exchanging a foreign driver's licence in Ontario explains how that works.

What the accompanying driver has to do in the car

Qualifying isn't enough. The accompanying driver also has duties every time you drive.

Sit in the front passenger seat. The handbook says the accompanying driver "must sit in the front passenger seat. This is the only person who can be in the front seat with you while you drive." A qualified driver in the back seat doesn't count.

Stay under the alcohol limit. The regulation sets the accompanying driver's limit at "less than 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood while the novice driver is operating the motor vehicle." That is the same as the handbook's "less than .05%." If your accompanying driver is 21 or under, ontario.ca says their level should be zero. Your own level, as the G1 driver, must always be zero.

Meet their own licence conditions. The regulation says the accompanying driver must meet the requirements of their own licence, "including any requirement to wear corrective lenses." So if their licence says they must wear glasses to drive, they should wear them while they supervise you.

Be there to instruct you. The regulation describes the accompanying driver as sitting beside you "for the purpose of giving the driver instruction in driving the motor vehicle."

Can a driving instructor be your accompanying driver?

Yes. The handbook says "if your accompanying driver is a driving instructor, you may drive on any road," and ontario.ca says the same for a driver instructor certified in Ontario. An Ontario-licensed driving instructor is also the only accompanying driver who lets you drive on 400-series highways and the named high-speed roads. The regulation lifts only the highway condition for instructors, so everything else, like no driving between midnight and 5 a.m., still applies. Our post on whether a G1 driver can drive on the highway lists the roads and explains that exception in full.

What happens if you drive with an unqualified supervisor?

Driving with someone who doesn't qualify means you're breaking a G1 condition. The handbook's Other ways to lose your licence page is clear about the penalty:

"If you violate any of the graduated-licensing conditions, your licence will be suspended for 30 days."

The same page says the suspension starts when you hand over your licence, and you can lose your licence for up to two years if you don't hand it over. It also lists "any repeat violations of novice restrictions" within five years as one of the things that trigger escalating sanctions for novice drivers.

The handbook's Keeping your driver's licence page adds that a conviction for breaking a novice condition brings the penalty and a Novice Driver Escalating Sanction suspension, but the demerit points are recorded as zero on your record.

How to practise these rules for the G1 test

The handbook tells you to study it before the G1 knowledge test, and the accompanying-driver rules are in its "Getting your driver's licence" chapter. The numbers to lock in are four years, less than .05, zero for drivers 21 and under, and zero for you.

You can test yourself with our free Rules of the Road mock exam (20 questions) or the Road Signs mock exam. The Ontario G1 practice test app has 250+ practice questions organized by handbook topic, 20 mock exams, and a smart review of the questions you miss. For the bigger picture of how long you stay at each level, see G1 to G2 to G: the full Ontario licence timeline.

Frequently asked questions

Can a G2 supervise a G1 driver?

No. The accompanying driver must have a valid Class G (or higher) licence and be fully licensed. A G2 is still a novice licence, so a G2 holder can't supervise a G1 driver.

Who can drive with a G1 driver?

Anyone with a valid, full Class G licence or higher, at least four years of driving experience, and a blood alcohol level under .05 (zero if they're 21 or under). They must sit in the front passenger seat.

Does G2 time count toward the accompanying driver's four years?

Yes. The handbook says time at the G2 level counts, as long as that G2 licence was valid and not suspended. The supervisor still needs a full G (or higher) when they accompany you.

Can my parent with a foreign licence supervise my G1?

The official pages don't say clearly. The regulation counts licensing time "in Ontario or another jurisdiction" toward the four years, but it doesn't say which licences from outside Ontario count as an equivalent licence. Ask DriveTest or ServiceOntario first.

Can the accompanying driver have a drink?

Only if they stay under .05 blood alcohol and are over 21. If they're 21 or under, ontario.ca says their blood alcohol level should be zero. As the G1 driver, yours must be zero.

Can someone with demerit points be my accompanying driver?

Yes. The handbook says the accompanying driver's licence "may have demerit points, but it cannot be suspended."

Can my accompanying driver sit in the back seat?

No. The accompanying driver must sit in the front passenger seat, and they must be the only other person in the front.

What happens if I drive with someone who doesn't qualify?

You've broken a G1 condition, and the handbook says your licence will be suspended for 30 days. Repeat violations can lead to escalating sanctions.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Getting your driver's licence: accompanying driver requirements, G2 time counting toward four years, demerit points and suspension rule, front seat rule, Class M and G2 descriptions, road test accompanying driver rule.
• Government of Ontario, Get a G driver's licence: new drivers: fully licensed driver requirement, four years, BAC under .05 and zero for accompanying drivers 21 and under, instructor exception.
• Government of Ontario, O. Reg. 340/94: Drivers' Licences: section 5 accompanying driver qualifications (licence classes, "another jurisdiction," corrective lenses, BAC in mg per 100 mL, highway exception for instructors) and the definition of fully licensed driver.
• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Other ways to lose your licence: 30-day suspension for breaking graduated licensing conditions, escalating sanctions.
• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Keeping your driver's licence: novice condition convictions and zero demerit points.

All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.