G1 Distracted Driving Penalty in Ontario: 30-Day Suspension

If you hold a G1 licence and are convicted of distracted driving in Ontario, a first conviction means a 30-day licence suspension and the same fine fully licensed drivers pay ($615 if settled out of court). You do not get demerit points. Instead, the suspensions get longer each time, and a third conviction cancels your licence.

This post covers the full penalty table for novice and fully licensed drivers, what counts as distracted driving, and what "hands-free" actually allows. Everything here comes from the Government of Ontario's distracted driving page and the Official MTO Driver's Handbook.

What is the distracted driving penalty for a G1 driver?

Ontario treats novice drivers differently from fully licensed drivers. On ontario.ca, novice drivers are people who hold a G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence. The page says that if you are a novice driver convicted of distracted driving, "you’ll face the same fines as drivers with A to G licences. But you won’t receive any demerit points."

Instead of demerit points, novice drivers face:

1. First conviction: a 30-day licence suspension.
2. Second conviction: a 90-day licence suspension.
3. Third conviction: your licence is cancelled and you are removed from the Graduated Licensing System (GLS). To get your licence back, you would have to redo the GLS program.

The GLS is Ontario's step-by-step path from G1 to G2 to a full G licence. Starting it again means going back to the beginning of that path. Our G1 to G2 to G licence timeline explains each step.

G1 vs full G licence: distracted driving penalties compared

This table shows the penalties exactly as ontario.ca lists them. The $615 amount applies if the ticket is "settled out of court." The higher "court" amount is the maximum fine "if a summons is received or if you fight the ticket in court and lose."

A few notes on the table:

• The novice fines are taken from the fully licensed column, because ontario.ca says novice drivers "face the same fines." The $615 amount "includes a victim surcharge and the court fee."
• For fully licensed drivers, ontario.ca says the third-conviction row applies to the third "and any further conviction(s)," and that you also pay a licence reinstatement fee every time your licence is suspended.
• The handbook's table of offences lists this offence under three demerit points: "Driving while holding or using a hand-held wireless communications/entertainment device or viewing a display screen unrelated to the driving task."

Can you use your phone while driving with a G1 in Ontario?

Only in very limited ways. The distracted driving law applies to all drivers, and ontario.ca says the law applies "including when you are stopped in traffic or at a red light." While driving, it is illegal to:

• use a phone or other hand-held wireless communication device to text or dial
• use a hand-held electronic entertainment device, such as a tablet or portable gaming console
• have a display screen visible to the driver that is unrelated to driving, such as a computer or video
• program a GPS on a cell phone or hand-held communication device, except by voice commands

The page also makes clear that you do not need to be texting to break the law: "In fact, simply holding a phone or other device while driving is against the law."

Is texting at a red light allowed on a G1?

No. Both ontario.ca and the handbook say the law covers you while you are stopped in traffic or at a red light. Being stopped does not make texting legal.

What does "hands-free" legally mean in Ontario?

Ontario.ca lists what you are allowed to use:

"You are allowed to use hands-free wireless communications devices with an earpiece, lapel button or Bluetooth."

The penalties section of the same page adds limits on how you can touch these devices. You can use:

• "a hands-free device (e.g. Bluetooth) but only to turn it on and off"
• "a mounted device (e.g. phone, GPS) as long as it is secure, and only to touch/press a button on your phone to make, answer or end a call."

So a phone in a mount is not a free pass. Based on the official wording, the touches allowed are turning a hands-free device on and off, pressing a button on a securely mounted phone to make, answer or end a call, and touching a device to call emergency services. Texting and dialling by hand are still on the list of things that are illegal.

Is a phone mount allowed with a G1?

Yes, if it is secure. Ontario.ca allows a mounted phone or GPS "as long as it is secure," and its tips include "securely mount your cellphone." The handbook says you "can view GPS display screens as long as they are built into your vehicle’s dashboard or securely mounted." Neither page sets out a different mount rule for G1 drivers.

Can you use GPS on a G1?

You can view a GPS screen that is built into the dashboard or securely mounted. You cannot program a GPS on a phone or hand-held device while driving, except by voice commands. Ontario.ca suggests you "set your route and playlist before leaving."

What about calling 911?

The handbook says texting or dialling is illegal "except to call 911 in an emergency." Ontario.ca adds that even then, you should "be sure to pull off the road to a safe area to make the call."

Can you be charged with more than distracted driving?

Yes. Ontario.ca says you could also face a careless driving charge "if you endanger other people because of any kind of distraction." This includes distraction from hand-held devices and from hands-free devices such as Bluetooth. So a legal hands-free set-up does not protect you if you drive in a way that endangers others.

According to ontario.ca, a careless driving conviction can bring six demerit points, fines up to $2,000 and/or a jail term of six months, and a licence suspension of up to two years. You could even be charged with dangerous driving, which ontario.ca describes as a criminal offence with heavier penalties.

Eating, drinking, grooming, smoking, reading and reaching for objects are not part of the distracted driving law itself. But ontario.ca says you can still be charged with careless or dangerous driving for them.

How to practise the rules of the road

Distracted driving is covered in the handbook chapter Dealing with particular situations. To check what you know about the handbook's rules, try our free Rules of the Road mock exam (20 questions) or the free Road Signs mock exam. The Ontario G1 practice test app has 250+ practice questions organized by handbook topic, 20 mock exams, and smart review of the questions you miss.

Frequently asked questions

What is the G1 texting suspension in Ontario?

30 days for a first conviction. A second conviction brings a 90-day suspension, and a third cancels your licence and removes you from the Graduated Licensing System.

Do G1 drivers get demerit points for distracted driving?

No. Ontario.ca says novice drivers (G1, G2, M1 and M2) "won’t receive any demerit points" for distracted driving. They get longer suspensions instead.

What is the fine for distracted driving with a G1?

$615 if you settle out of court, the same as fully licensed drivers. If you receive a summons or fight the ticket and lose, the maximum is $1,000 for a first conviction, $2,000 for a second and $3,000 for a third.

Is a phone mount allowed on a G1 in Ontario?

Yes, as long as the mount is secure. You can only touch or press a button on the mounted phone to make, answer or end a call.

Can I hold my phone at a red light with a G1?

No. Ontario.ca says simply holding a phone while driving is against the law, and the law applies when you are stopped in traffic or at a red light.

Can I use Bluetooth with a G1 licence?

Yes. Ontario.ca allows hands-free devices with an earpiece, lapel button or Bluetooth, but you may only touch a hands-free device to turn it on and off. You can still be charged with careless driving if any distraction, including a hands-free one, endangers others.

What happens after a third distracted driving conviction on a G1?

Your licence is cancelled and you are removed from the Graduated Licensing System. To get your licence back, you would have to redo the GLS program.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, Distracted driving: what counts as distracted driving, red-light rule, holding a phone, hands-free and mounted device rules, penalty amounts for novice and fully licensed drivers, careless and dangerous driving, tips, calling 911.
• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Dealing with particular situations: distracted driving rules, 911 exception, GPS screens built in or securely mounted.
• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Keeping your driver's licence: table of offences listing hand-held device use at three demerit points.
• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Getting your driver's licence: G1 accompanying driver in the front passenger seat.

All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.