What is an enhanced driver’s licence?

An enhanced driver’s licence is a unique type of licence available to certain motorists in Ontario. These licences are also offered to U.S. citizens in the United States. Obtaining an enhanced driver’s licence is different from the process of getting or renewing your licence in Ontario or getting a new driver’s licence if you move to another province or country. Read on to find out more about enhanced driver’s licences in Canada.

What are enhanced driver’s licences used for?

Enhanced driver’s licences in Ontario feature the same information as a regular driver’s licence, except they also contain a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip. This chip indicates that the licence holder is a Canadian citizen. With this type of driver’s licence in hand, a Canadian will be able to enter the United States by land or water without a passport.

On June 1, 2009, the Government of the United States made it mandatory for all Canadian citizens entering the United States by land or water to present a valid passport or other type of secure identification. An enhanced driver’s licence is one passport alternative that a Canadian citizen can show to enter the U.S. by land or water.

Ontario’s enhanced driver’s licence program was created in consultation with the provincial government of Ontario, alongside the Government of Canada and the United States Government.

Ever since its inception, the enhanced driver’s licence program in Ontario has been completely voluntary. Citizens had the option of applying for this type of licence, and many did, especially those who travelled to the United States by land and water frequently. The main benefit of the enhanced driver’s licence was that it was cheaper to obtain than a passport and conveniently fit inside a wallet, similar to a regular driver’s licence or health card.

Eligibility for an enhanced driver’s licence in Ontario was fairly simple. Applicants need to be Ontario residents, have a valid Ontario driver’s licence and be Canadian citizens without any travel restrictions.

Where is an enhanced driver’s licence valid?

Enhanced driver’s licences are only valid when travelling from Canada to the United States by land or water. They are not an accepted form of identification when travelling from Canada to the United States by air. You will need a passport in order to fly to the United States.

In addition, enhanced driver’s licences can only be used when travelling to the U.S. by land or water, not when travelling to any other country.

How do enhanced driver’s licences work?

While you now know that enhanced driver’s licences serve as a valid piece of identification that Canadian citizens can use when entering the United States by land or water, you may be wondering how these unique licences actually work. We break this down below:

Enhanced driver’s licences contain radio frequency identification

At a glance, you could easily mistake an enhanced Ontario driver’s licence for a regular one. Save for the word “enhanced” written on the card and “CAN” in the corner to indicate that the licence holder is Canadian, enhanced licences do not look very different from regular Ontario licences.

That said, there is one key difference: enhanced driver’s licences contain radio frequency identification (RFID) chips. These chips are embedded into each card and contain a unique identification number.

When you reach a land or water border in the United States, an RFID reader scans the chip and transmits it to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) network. From there, CBP searches the Canada Border Services Agency database, and the relevant information about the enhanced driver’s licence is transmitted.

If you’re worried about the security of enhanced driver’s licences in Canada or the radio frequency identification chips specifically, rest assured that these licences contain cutting-edge fraud prevention measures, including a security sleeve to prevent the chip from being read by others.

Applying for an enhanced driver’s licence in Ontario

The enhanced driver’s licence program is no longer offered in Ontario. This is the same in three other Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec. Although the enhanced driver’s licences that are currently valid and in circulation are still valid until they expire, they cannot be renewed once they expire. In addition, since 2019, the Ontario government has not accepted applications for enhanced driver’s licence.

Previously, if you wanted to apply for an enhanced driver’s licence in Ontario, individuals needed to book in-person appointments at a ServiceOntario centre near them. These appointments could be booked online in advance.

The cost of applying for an enhanced driver’s licence in Ontario was $40.00. On top of this, the licence holder would also have to pay the cost of renewing the driver’s licence when it expires. The expiry date for your licence will be listed on the front of the card. Your licence card is valid until this date.

The end of the enhanced driver’s licence program in parts of Canada

Since the enhanced driver’s licence program ended in multiple Canadian provinces, many residents are left wondering how they can change their enhanced licence back to a normal licence, as well as what other types of identification can be used to travel to the United States.

Thankfully, the process of exchanging your enhanced driver’s licence for a regular driver’s licence in Ontario is a relatively quick one. You can do the exchange at any ServiceOntario centre. All you need to do is bring your enhanced driver’s licence to the appointment. Your request will be processed, and your new licence will arrive in the mail within six to eight weeks from the date of your appointment.

Until your new licence arrives, you will be given a temporary licence that you can show if you need to update your car insurance policy or present your licence to a law enforcement officer. In addition, the Ontario government made it free of charge to exchange your licence back to a regular one.

In terms of travel documents and identification that you can use to travel from Canada to the United States, you have several options. For example, a Canadian Passport, ePassport, FAST, or NEXUS card are all valid and accepted forms of identification when travelling between countries. The good news is that many of these IDs, such as the Canadian Passport, can be used when travelling to the U.S. by air, water, or land and when travelling to any other country.

Obtaining a regular driver’s licence in Ontario

Ontario has a graduated licencing system that is made up of three types of licences: G1, G2, and G.

To obtain your G1 licence, you must first pass a written exam. If you successfully pass your written exam, you will receive a G1 licence. Please note that G1 licenses have many restrictions, including the fact that the licence holder cannot drive without a fully licenced driver in the car.

The next step is to obtain your G2 licence, which you must pass a road test in order to do. Your G2 road test cannot be taken for a minimum of eight months after you obtain your G1 licence. This minimum goes up to twelve months if you do not enrol in a driver’s education course. Once you are eligible to take the test, you can book an appointment at a DriveTest centre near you. The test will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and will test you on all sorts of driving skills, including:

• Fastening your seatbelt
• Starting the vehicle
• Stopping
• Turning
• Using your turn signals appropriately
• Navigating traffic lights
• Passing vehicles using both your turn signals and a shoulder check
• Driving in the passing lane
• Driving through controlled intersections
• Parallel parking
• Reversing safely
• Visual checks of your surroundings
• Emergency stopping
• Three point turn
• Forward parking
• Reverse parking
• Obeying posted speed limits
• Use of the hand brake
• Overall awareness of the road

If you pass your G2 test, you will move on to the final level of licencing in Ontario: the G licence. You will receive your G licence only after passing your G exam, which is a road test. It will test you on skills similar to those that you are tested on during your G2 road test.

However, in addition to these, you will also be tested on your highway driving skills. The examiner will guide you onto a 400 series highway in Ontario, and you must exhibit safe driving skills in order to pass the test. If you pass your G test, you will receive your G licence, which is the third and final type of licence in Ontario. A G licence is a full licence.

Steps to renew your Ontario driver’s licence

If you already have a driver’s licence in Ontario, then you might be wondering how to renew it. Follow these instructions if you wish to renew your Ontario driver’s licence:

1. Go to the Ministry of Transportation website or visit a ServiceOntario centre

To begin the licence renewal process, go to the Ministry of Transportation website to first find out if you have the option of renewing your licence online. If you do not have this option, which could be the case if you have outstanding parking or traffic tickets, then you will need to make a ServiceOntario appointment at a location near you. You can also show up at a ServiceOntario centre without an appointment and wait.

2. Collect the documents you need for licence renewal

The second step is to collect the documents and information you need for licence renewal. This includes your postal code, payment method, a piece of photo identification, your driver’s licence number and your trillium number.

3. Take your photo

You may be required to take a photo if your last licence photo is more than ten years old.

4. Pay the driver’s licence renewal fee

Next, you will be prompted to pay the driver’s licence renewal fee, which is $90.

5. Get your new licence

The process is now complete. You will receive a temporary licence until your newly renewed driver’s licence arrives in the mail.

Contact BrokerLink today!

If you want to know more about how enhanced driver’s licences work or how to renew your regular driver’s licence, reach out to BrokerLink today.

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