Driving in Canada

Right

Each province and territory sets this in its own law, and every one of them sets it the same way. Canada has no national road traffic law to cite, so the source here is provincial: British Columbia's Motor Vehicle Act, s.150 "Driver on right". Québec's Highway Safety Code s.321 says the same.

Checked 9 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Alberta Left Pass on the left as a rule. You may pass on the right in three cases: the car in front is turning left or has signalled a left turn, you are on a one-way road wide enough for two lines of traffic, or the road has two or more lanes going your way and a free lane on your right. Never leave the paved roadway to pass. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario 100 km/h Posted on the 400-series freeways; some sections are posted 110. Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
• Québec 100 km/h Article 328 of the Highway Safety Code sets a maximum of 100 km/h on an autoroute and a minimum of 60 km/h. Signs may post less. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 110 km/h Always drive to the posted sign. On a divided rural freeway the usual maximum sign in British Columbia is 110 km/h. One route is higher: Highway 5, the Coquihalla, between Hope and Kamloops is posted 120 km/h, the highest limit in Canada. Two other 120 km/h stretches were reduced to 110 km/h in 2018. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario 80 km/h The default where no limit is posted, outside cities, towns and villages. Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
• Québec 90 km/h Article 328 of the Highway Safety Code caps you at 90 km/h on a paved road outside a town, and at 70 km/h on a gravel road. Watch the surface: the limit drops on gravel even where no sign tells you. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 80 km/h Motor Vehicle Act s.146: outside a municipality, 80 km/h where no sign says otherwise. Many rural highways are signed higher or lower, so read the signs. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta 100 km/h The default on a provincial highway outside a town or city where no limit is posted. On roads run by a county or municipal district, and on a provincial highway inside a city, the default is 80 km/h. Watch for posted signs, which always win. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario 50 km/h The default in cities, towns and villages where no limit is posted. Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
• Québec 50 km/h Article 328 of the Highway Safety Code caps you at 50 km/h inside a town or village, except on limited-access roads. On a road leading into a town the 50 applies from the sign onwards. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 50 km/h Motor Vehicle Act s.146: 50 km/h inside a municipality where no sign says otherwise. Near a school the limit drops to 30 km/h on school days between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and playground zones are also 30 km/h. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta 50 km/h The default inside a city, town or village where no limit is posted. School zones and playground zones are 30 km/h during the hours shown on the sign. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

80 mg/100ml

The criminal offence threshold, nationwide. Most provinces also suspend licences at 50 mg/100ml under administrative rules — being under the criminal limit does not mean you are safe to drive.

Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec 0 mg/100ml Québec allows no alcohol at all for two groups of drivers. The first is any driver aged 21 or under. That rule follows the person, so a visitor aged 21 or under is bound by it even on a foreign licence. The second is any holder of a Québec learner's or probationary licence; a full foreign licence is not one of those, so a visitor over 21 is not in this group. Every other driver is judged against the federal criminal limit of 80 mg per 100 ml. Breaking the zero-alcohol rule means an immediate 90-day licence suspension, seizure of the vehicle, 4 demerit points and a fine of 300 to 600 dollars. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 0 mg/100ml Zero alcohol, but only for drivers holding a British Columbia learner (L) or novice (N) licence. Any alcohol in the body brings an immediate 12-hour suspension. A visitor driving on a foreign licence is not in this class and is judged by the ordinary limits instead. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario 16 years Ontario's graduated licensing system allows driving at 16 with a G1 learner's licence, but only with a fully licensed driver in the car. Foreign visitors can drive at 16 on their own country's licence for a limited time. Checked 29 Aug 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 16 years You can apply for a learner (L) licence on or after your 16th birthday. An L driver may only drive with a qualified supervising driver in the car. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta 14 years 14 is the age for a Class 7 learner's licence. A learner may ride a moped alone, but may only drive a car with a fully licensed driver aged 18 or over sitting beside them. You must be 16 to drive a car on your own. A visitor drives on their own country's licence, not on an Alberta one. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario Not required For visits under 3 months, a valid licence from your own country is enough. Staying longer needs an International Driving Permit issued at home before you arrive. Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
• Québec Not required For a visit of up to 6 months, a valid licence from your own country is enough. After 6 months you must also hold an International Driving Permit. You have to get that permit in the country that issued your licence, before you travel. It never replaces your own licence, so carry both. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Not required You do not need an International Driving Permit. Alberta says one is strongly recommended if your licence is not in English, because it translates what your licence allows you to drive. If you carry an IDP you must also carry your own licence; the IDP alone is not enough. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario 3 months As a visitor, on your own country's licence. Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
• Québec 6 months As a visitor, on your own country's licence. The licence must be valid and must cover the type of vehicle you are driving. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 6 months As a visitor, on your own country's licence. If you are moving to BC you must update your licence within 90 days. Checked 29 Aug 2026 · official source
• Alberta 12 months A visitor may drive in Alberta for up to one year on a valid licence from their home country, for the same class of vehicle that licence allows. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• British Columbia
  • Vehicle registration document
  • Insurance certificate
  Motor Vehicle Act s.11: the vehicle licence, or a photocopy of it, must be carried in the vehicle at all times on a highway. Section 33: the driver must also keep the driver's licence and the insurance card for that vehicle on their person and show all of them to a police officer on demand. In British Columbia the vehicle licence and the insurance certificate are normally printed as one document. A private car does not have to carry a warning triangle, a first aid kit or a reflective vest. On a signed winter route the tyres themselves are the requirement — see the winter fields. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta
  • Vehicle registration document
  • Insurance certificate
  A police officer may ask you to show your driving licence, the vehicle's registration certificate and its insurance card (Alberta calls this a financial responsibility card). Keep all three in the car. Alberta sets no duty to carry a warning triangle, first aid kit, hi-vis vest, fire extinguisher or chains in a private car; the warning triangle rule applies only to commercial vehicles. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• British Columbia Only in poor visibility Motor Vehicle Act Regulations s.4.01: lights must be on from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and at any other time when you cannot clearly see an object 150 metres away. In daylight that means rain, fog, smoke or falling snow. Cars sold in Canada switch their daytime running lights on by themselves, but those do not light the tail lamps, so in bad weather turn the headlights on yourself. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Only in poor visibility You must switch your headlights on at night, and in the day whenever you cannot clearly see objects 150 metres ahead — in snow, fog, rain or blowing dust. Separately, if your car left the factory with daytime running lamps, those lamps must be lit whenever the car is moving. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario Not allowed Even holding the phone is an offence. First conviction from 615 dollars, three demerit points and a 3-day suspension. Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
• Québec Not allowed Holding a phone or any other portable electronic device in your hand while driving is an offence on its own. You do not have to be using it. First offence: a fine of 300 to 600 dollars plus costs, and 5 demerit points. A repeat offence within 2 years also suspends your licence for 3, 7 or 30 days. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Not allowed You must not hold, operate, watch the screen of, or communicate with a hand-held electronic device while driving. Texting and email are banned on any device. The fine is 368 dollars and 4 penalty points, each time. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Not allowed You may not hold, look at or touch a phone or other hand-held device while driving. This applies while you are stopped at a red light. The fine is 390 dollars and 3 demerit points. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario Allowed Earpiece, Bluetooth or mounted — touch it only to start or end a call. Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
• Québec Allowed, with restrictions The phone must sit in a proper mount and be used hands-free or by voice. Do not touch the screen or the device while you drive, and anything it shows must relate to driving. The rule applies on public roads and also in private areas open to traffic, such as shop car parks and drive-throughs. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Allowed, with restrictions A full licence holder may use a hands-free phone. The device must be mounted or worn and not held, you may touch it once only to start, accept or end a call, and anything more must be done by voice. An earpiece may be worn in one ear only. Drivers with a British Columbia learner (L) or novice (N) licence may not use any electronic device at all, hands-free included. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Allowed Allowed if the device is not in your hand and you start the call by voice or a single touch. An earphone is allowed if used hands-free. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec Allowed You may turn right on a red light in most of Québec, but only after a complete stop. It is banned everywhere on the island of Montréal, and at any other intersection where a sign forbids it. Look for that sign before you turn. Give way to anyone already in the intersection, and to pedestrians and cyclists crossing on your right. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Allowed Motor Vehicle Act s.129: stop completely at the red light first, then turn right if no sign forbids it, giving way to pedestrians and to traffic that has the green. You may also turn left on red from a one-way street into another one-way street in the direction of its traffic, under the same conditions. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Allowed You may turn right on a red light after coming to a full stop, unless a sign says no right turn on red. Give way to people walking and to traffic already in or approaching the junction. Where two one-way streets meet you may also turn left on red the same way. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Alberta Yes — traffic from the right goes first at unmarked junctions Where two vehicles reach a junction from different roads at about the same time and nothing else decides it, the driver on the left gives way to the vehicle on the right. Signs, signals and stop lines override this. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec Everyone, in every seat Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt. Front seats have been covered since 1976 and rear seats since 1990. A driver who is not wearing the belt correctly faces a fine of 200 to 300 dollars and 3 demerit points. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Everyone, in every seat Motor Vehicle Act s.220: everyone in the car must wear the seat belt fitted to the seat they are sitting in, front or back. The driver is responsible for passengers aged 6 to 15. The fine is 167 dollars for each unbelted person. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Everyone, in every seat The driver and every passenger in a seat that has a belt must wear it, properly adjusted and fastened. The driver is responsible for passengers aged 6 to 15. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec 9 years A child must use a child seat or a booster seat until they are 145 cm tall or 9 years old, whichever comes first. If the adult belt still does not fit properly across the shoulder and hips, keep using the booster for longer. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 9 years Motor Vehicle Act Regulations Division 36 applies to every child under age 9. A baby stays in a rear-facing infant seat until the child is both one year old and 9 kg. After that a forward-facing child seat is used until the child weighs 18 kg, then a booster seat. The duty ends when the child turns 9 or reaches 145 cm, whichever comes first. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec 145 cm The height half of the same rule: a booster seat is needed until the child reaches 145 cm or turns 9, whichever comes first. Belts in Canadian cars are designed for people of at least 145 cm. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 145 cm Motor Vehicle Act Regulations s.36.06: a child who has outgrown a child seat must use a booster seat until the child is 145 cm tall. A child of 9 or older does not need one whatever their height. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec Not allowed You may not stop or park on a pavement or on a central median. Stopping is also banned in bus and cycle lanes, in loading zones, and in front of a kerb ramp for people with disabilities. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Not allowed You may not stop or park on a footway or on the grass strip beside it. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec Not allowed Park no more than 30 cm from the nearest kerb and always facing the direction of traffic. On a slope, set the handbrake and turn the front wheels towards the kerb. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Not allowed Park parallel to the kerb with your right wheels no more than 50 centimetres from it, so the car faces the way the traffic goes. On a one-way road you may park on either side, but the car must still face the direction of travel. Angle parking is allowed only where a sign says so. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec
  • A fire hydrant — 3 m
  Three metres from a fire hydrant is the only distance the rule states. Apart from that, stopping is banned at intersections, on pedestrian and bicycle crossings, in traffic circles, on bridges, viaducts and in tunnels, on autoroutes and their entry and exit ramps, and on any road where the speed limit is 70 km/h or higher. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta
  • A junction — 5 m
  • A pedestrian crossing — 5 m
  • A fire hydrant — 5 m
  Measured from the corner of the junction, from the near side of a marked crossing, and from the hydrant. Also keep 5 metres clear before a stop or yield sign and 1.5 metres from a driveway, and never park on a crossing, in a junction, or on a bridge. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec Required between set dates The rule follows where the car is registered, not where you drive it. Every passenger car and taxi registered in Québec, rental cars included, must have four winter tyres from 1 December to 15 March. Vehicles registered outside Québec are not covered, so a car you drive in from another province or from the United States does not have to comply. A legal tyre carries the winter pictogram, a mountain with a snowflake inside it, or is studded. Tread must be at least 1.6 mm deep, and at least 4.8 mm is advised in winter. Studded tyres are allowed from 15 October to 1 May on passenger cars, taxis and commercial vehicles with a total loaded mass up to 3,000 kg. The fine is 200 to 300 dollars. Whatever your number plate says, winter tyres are the safer choice on Québec roads in winter. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Required where signs say so On signed highways — most mountain and interior routes — your car must have winter tyres. A legal winter tyre is marked on the sidewall either with the 3-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol or with the letters M and S, and must have at least 3.5 mm of tread. Mountain and snowflake tyres grip much better on snow and ice. Fitting chains to summer tyres does not satisfy the rule. Studded tyres are allowed on B.C. highways only from 1 October to 30 April, studs must not stick out more than 2 mm, and if the front wheels are studded the back wheels must be too. The rule binds every vehicle using the highway, including rental cars and cars registered outside B.C. Motorcycles are exempt. Police can turn you back and fine you 121 dollars. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Recommended, not required Alberta has not made winter tyres compulsory. There is no date rule, unlike British Columbia and Québec. Alberta Transportation recommends four winter or all-weather tyres for driving in severe winter conditions. Winters here are hard, so take the advice even though it is not law. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec 1 December to 15 March Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia 1 October to 30 April 1 October to 30 April on most designated routes. On selected highways that do not cross mountain passes or high-snowfall areas the requirement ends on 31 March instead. The sign at the start of the route gives the dates. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• British Columbia Required where signs say so A car does not have to carry chains. Where a chain-up sign is posted you must fit chains to drive on, and the police may close the road to you if you cannot. Out-of-province and rental vehicles must follow B.C.'s winter tyre and chain rules like everyone else; most rental cars come on M+S tyres, which meet the minimum. Commercial vehicles are treated more strictly: those over 5,000 kg must carry chains or another approved traction device from 1 October, and the heaviest must carry steel chains on most major highways. Towns, cities and private roads such as ski hills may set their own rules. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Allowed Neither the province nor its municipalities forbid tyre chains or studded tyres, and there is no season limit on studs. But damaging the road surface is an offence under the Highways Development and Protection Act, so take chains off once the road is bare. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario Required for rider and passenger Rider and passenger must both wear an approved helmet with the chin strap fastened, on a motorcycle or a moped. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• Québec Required for rider and passenger Rider, passenger and anyone in a sidecar must wear a helmet that is correctly adjusted and firmly attached, on a motorcycle, moped or scooter. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Required for rider and passenger Motor Vehicle Act s.194(3): nobody may ride a motorcycle, as rider or passenger, without an approved motorcycle safety helmet. The rider is responsible for passengers under 16. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Required for rider and passenger Rider and passenger must both wear an approved safety helmet, properly worn, on a motorcycle, a moped or a power bicycle. The only exception is a person aged 18 or over who is a member of the Sikh religion and wears a turban. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario None — you need a motorcycle licence Mopeds and limited-speed motorcycles (scooters) are among the four vehicle types that need a motorcycle class of licence (class M) in Ontario, so a class G car licence covers none of them. Riders tested on a moped or LSM get a class M restricted to those vehicles. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• Québec
  • Engine up to 50 cc
  • Top speed up to 70 km/h
  A full class 5 car licence covers a scooter or moped with nothing added to it. In fact every Québec licence class except the class 8 car learner's licence does. Québec defines the machine as a two- or three-wheeled passenger vehicle with a top speed of 70 km/h, driven by an electric motor or by a petrol engine of 50 cc or less; the 50 cc figure is the petrol limit only. Anything larger needs a motorcycle class. Riders who hold only the scooter licence, class 6D, must be at least 14. The source does not say whether a foreign car licence gets the same allowance. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia
  • Engine up to 50 cc
  • Power up to 1.5 kW
  • Top speed up to 70 km/h
  A full-privilege class 5 or class 7 car licence lets you ride a limited-speed motorcycle. The engine limit is for petrol and the power limit for electric; either way the machine must also top out at 70 km/h on level ground, need no clutching or shifting, and weigh no more than 95 kg without fuel or batteries. A car learner's licence is not enough. The page does not say whether foreign car licences get the same allowance. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta
  • Engine up to 50 cc
  • Top speed up to 70 km/h
  A moped in Alberta is an electric machine or one of 50 cc or less that is a limited-speed motorcycle: top speed 70 km/h, seat at least 650 mm high, no weight limit. Riding one needs a Class 7 learner's licence as a minimum, so a full Class 5 car licence covers it. A real motorcycle needs a Class 6 licence, which a car licence does not give you. A moped must be registered and insured, and the helmet rule applies. The source does not say whether a foreign car licence gets the same allowance. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario 16 years At 16 you can get an M1 licence, which lets you ride a motorcycle or moped without a supervisor, but only in daylight, with no passenger, and not on roads with limits above 80 km/h or on 400-series highways. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• Québec 14 years You must be 14 to ride a scooter or moped on a public road, and hold at least a class 6D scooter licence. Getting one means a 6-hour course at an approved school and an SAAQ exam. To carry a passenger on a motorcycle, moped or scooter you must be 16 or older. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta 14 years 14 is the age for a Class 7 learner's licence, which counts as a full licence when the holder is riding a moped, so no supervisor is needed. A rider under 16 may not carry a passenger. A motorcycle needs a Class 6 licence and a minimum age of 16. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec
  • Eye protection
  On roads where the speed limit is above 50 km/h the helmet must have a visor; without a visor you must wear eye protection. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec Not allowed You may not pass between two rows of vehicles in adjacent lanes, between the shoulder and a vehicle in the same lane, or between a parked vehicle and a moving one in the same lane. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Not allowed ICBC's official rider guide states that lane splitting, riding between lanes of traffic, is illegal in British Columbia. Riding on the shoulder is illegal too. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Not allowed Alberta's official motorcycle handbook states that the law does not allow you to ride between lanes or to share a lane with another vehicle. Two riders may not ride side by side in the same lane. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Québec
  • Engine at least 125 cc
  • Power at least 11 kW
  Limited-access highways such as freeways are closed to motorcycles with a piston displacement of 125 cc or less, to motorcycles with an electric motor rated 11 kW or less, and to all mopeds and scooters (which Québec defines as 50 cc or electric, top speed 70 km/h, automatic transmission). The boundary is exclusive: a machine must exceed 125 cc, or 11 kW if electric, to enter. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Ontario Required at all times A motorcycle's headlight and tail light must be on at all times of day and night. Mopeds are different: their lights are only required from half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise and in poor light such as fog, snow or rain. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• British Columbia Required at all times This is an equipment rule: a motorcycle built after 1974 must have a headlight that switches on with the engine and stays on while it runs, so in practice the light is always on. The rider's own duty is only to use the headlight from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, or when visibility is under 150 metres. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• Alberta Required at all times A motorcycle, moped or power bicycle may not be ridden on the road at any time unless every lamp it must have is lit. That includes the headlight, in full daylight. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source

911

Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Alberta
  • Minor speeding — fine from 105 CAD (105 dollars at 1 km/h over the posted limit, rising with the amount you are over — about 144 dollars at 10 km/h over and 228 dollars at 20 km/h over.)
  • Serious speeding — fine up to 744 CAD (744 dollars at 50 km/h over the limit. At 51 km/h or more over you must go to court and the court sets the fine.)
  Amounts include the 20 per cent victims of crime surcharge. Speeding fines are doubled when construction workers or emergency responders are present. Checked 14 Sep 2026 · official source