Independent learning reference with original examples. Not official test questions or an individual licensing decision. Current official rules and your licence conditions apply.
Practise SGI licensing conditions →Read the stage before counting passengers
| Stage | Passenger condition to check |
|---|---|
| Class 7 learner | An experienced licensed supervisor must sit in the front passenger seat at all hours. Between midnight and 5 a.m., other passengers must be immediate family. |
| Class 5 Novice 1 | Only one passenger may be outside the immediate family; other passengers must be immediate family. |
| All GDL stages | Passengers are limited by available seatbelts. Drivers may not use handheld or hands-free cellphones. |
Immediate family has a defined meaning
Do not decide that a close friend counts as family because you live together or have known each other for years. SGI lists the relationships in the footnote to its GDL table. Check that definition when the proposed trip depends on it, including step, foster and in-law relationships.
A learner’s overnight rule is a passenger restriction alongside the supervision requirement. Do not replace it with the blanket midnight driving ban used in another province. A supervisor does not create spare seating or cancel other licence conditions.
Source: SGI — Graduated Driver Licensing program ↗Check three different proposed journeys
Original worked examples
After an evening shift: a learner wants to drive at 12:30 a.m. with an experienced supervisor and a friend. The supervisor is still required, but the friend does not meet the immediate-family condition for an additional overnight passenger.
First Novice 1 weekend: a driver invites two unrelated friends. Counting the driver as one of the passengers gives the wrong result. The proposal includes two non-family passengers, exceeding the Novice 1 allowance.
Hands-free call: a Novice 2 driver argues that only learners are restricted. SGI’s cellphone prohibition applies throughout GDL, including hands-free use. Park safely before dealing with the call.
Time alone does not complete every stage
SGI sets a nine-month learner period with mandatory training, then a road test and a licence update to Class 5. Novice 1 lasts six months; Novice 2 requires at least twelve incident-free months. Interruptions and incidents can affect progression.
Use the application guide for getting the learner licence. Use this comparison for the narrower question of who can ride with you after it is issued. A practice quiz result does not determine your legal stage or override the conditions printed on your licence.
Source: SGI — Graduated Driver Licensing program ↗Practise by changing one passenger
Write the stage, time, supervisor and passenger relationships before choosing an answer. Then replace a sibling with a friend, or move the trip past midnight. Explain which condition changes instead of memorizing a single carload.
The linked licensing questions let you test that reasoning for free. If your actual circumstances are unclear, ask SGI before driving rather than treating a fictional example as an individual permission.