Exact Answer: 8 to 12 months
There are three different types of tests mandated by the state of Ontario for drivers seeking to apply for new licenses or attempting to reinstate or renew their expired ones. The three levels of driving permits include the G1, G2, and G categorizations. The first two levels of license holders have to drive with certain restrictions, while the individuals in the G category possess a full, unrestricted license to drive.
A written exam has to be cleared by the individual to obtain the first learner’s license. After clearing the initial test, the person is awarded a G1 permit. However, he or she must wait for a stipulated time frame before applying for the next G2 permit level.
How Long After Your G1 to Get G2?
The G1 permit is issued to an individual as essentially a learner’s permit. An individual of at least 16 years of age can apply for the initial G1 category driving permit. After he or she passes a knowledge-based written exam, the permit is granted.
However, appearing for the next level of permits is not an immediate process. One has to wait for a certain time period before he or she can apply for a G2 level probationary license. This stipulated time frame of waiting is contingent on an important factor.
According to the norms of the state of Ontario, a waiting period of 12 months is made mandatory for all persons who apply for a G2 license. The waiting period starts right after the G1 license is granted to the individual. However, there is another way of truncating this usual year-long waiting period.
Drivers who enroll themselves in driver training schools or institutes after their initial G1 permit clearance are given some amount of leeway in their G2 applications. Such an individual’s G2 application and testing process is fast-tracked. In these circumstances, the person simply needs to wait for a period of 8 months from the day his G1 permit is issued to apply for a G2 permit.
It is important to cognize that once a driver has applied for and successfully cleared his or her G1 test, the individual has a total of 5 years to clear all three levels of the permit categorization. In other words, if he is unable to successfully clear the last G level of testing and obtain the corresponding permits within 5 years, he has to begin the process again from the G1 level.
In Summary:
| Circumstances of Application | Waiting Period |
| After the G1 Permit is Issued | 12 months |
| After the G1 Permit is Issued (With Driving School Experience) | 8 months |
Why Do You Have To Wait So Long After Your G1 To Get G2?
The Canadian government is extremely strict and diligent about the issuing of driver’s licenses to the people living in the country. The laws of the nation, especially Ontario, require a thorough examination of their driving capabilities and astute sense of vision. Thus, the entire process of not just acquiring a driving license but moving up the hierarchy of permits is a time-consuming process.
The 12-month gap is needed to help the novice driver learn some of the on-road experiences of driving. When using a G1 permit, the driver is not allowed to drive without a supervisor. However, when they graduate to the G2 level, they have to drive perfectly without any assistance. This requires them to hone a certain level of experience on the road.
The year in between the two qualifying exams essentially helps people secure this expertise. It is given to help them practice driving and sharpen their skills so that the G2 exam can be easily cleared and the corresponding license obtained.
Slight leeway is granted to people who have driving school experience on the assumption that they have already secured a certain amount of experience and expertise in the field. The training course allows novice drivers to gain some important on-the-field experience. This results in the reduction of the time frame to 8 months.
It is essential that an individual practice driving during this period to gain important hands-on experience that will help them pass the second G2 exam as developing these basic driving skills before the exam is crucial.
Conclusion
Driving tests in Ontario are some of the most difficult license-obtaining exams in the world. Three driving clearance levels have to be crossed with an astute sense of expertise and outstanding performance to attain the G level permit. The G1 exam is a relatively simple stage that can be passed easily by a novice driver to obtain a learner’s permit.
However, attaining a G2 permit is tricky. Usually, an individual must wait for at least 12 months before applying for the G2 permit. If the person happens to attend a driving school training program during this period, then the time is reduced to merely 8 months.