Driving Tests

Alberta Class 5-GDL Rules for Probationary Drivers

informational·how to guide·Published May 14, 2026

What are the Alberta Class 5-GDL rules?

In Alberta, Class 5-GDL drivers must carry no more passengers than seat belts, keep alcohol and drugs at zero, and stay below 8 demerit points: 8 or more means a suspension. They cannot upgrade to a Class 1, 2, 3 or 4 licence or supervise a learner. Probation lasts at least 2 years from the date the original licence is issued.

Where the Alberta GDL rules come from

The Class 5-GDL rules come from Alberta's Class 5 driver's licence page, the Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation (section 33) and the Driver's Guide, Spring 2026 from Transportation and Economic Corridors. The demerit and alcohol penalties also use the Demerit Point Program Regulation, the Traffic Safety Act and the alberta.ca demerit suspension page. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (alberta.ca) before you drive.

The Class 5-GDL rules at a glance

The Class 5-GDL rules at a glance
Rule	What it means for you
Passengers	No more people than the vehicle has seat belts. Each passenger needs a belt of their own.
Alcohol and drugs	Zero, each time you drive.
Demerit points	8 or more points means a suspension.
Licence class	You cannot apply for a Class 1, 2, 3 or 4 licence while you are on probation.
Supervising	You cannot supervise a Class 7 learner. A learner needs a fully licensed (non-GDL) driver who is 18 or older, seated next to the learner.

Zero alcohol and drugs for novice drivers

Zero tolerance covers both the Class 7 and the Class 5-GDL stages. If an officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a novice driver has any alcohol or drug in the body, the driver gets a notice of administrative penalty. The licence is suspended for 30 days at once, and the vehicle is seized for 7 days. The safe amount is none. Free practice question: the alcohol and drug rule for novice drivers.

How long is Alberta GDL probation?

A Class 5-GDL licence is a probationary licence for at least 2 years from the date the original licence is issued. To get it, you first hold a Class 7 learner's licence for at least 12 months, so the full path to a non-GDL Class 5 takes at least 3 years.
A Class 5 or Class 6 driver training program from a school licensed by the province can cut the probation by up to 6 months. The cut can never end your probation before you are 18.

What makes GDL probation longer

You are suspended during probation

The probation grows by the length of the suspension. You also need 12 months in a row with no suspension just before probation ends. A suspension that comes only from a medical condition does not count for that 12-month rule.

You are convicted of a demerit offence, or get a penalty for a specified contravention

Your record must show 12 months in a row with no demerit offence and no specified contravention before probation ends. The extension counts from your most recent conviction, or from the date of the notice of administrative penalty. A specified contravention is a non-demerit offence on a list that the Registrar of Motor Vehicle Services publishes.

The Registrar decides a longer probation would help you

The Registrar may extend your probation at any time on that ground.

What happens at 8 demerit points on a GDL

A GDL driver with 8 or more demerit points within 2 years gets a one-month suspension. When the licence comes back, it has 3 demerit points that stay on the record for 2 years from the date of reinstatement. Before that, a written notice comes at 4 to 7 points. The point value of each offence is in the guide to Alberta GDL demerit points.

Is there a curfew for Class 5-GDL drivers?

No. The midnight to 5 a.m. driving ban applies only to the Class 7 learner stage (section 32(5) of the Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation). On a Class 5-GDL licence, the curfew no longer applies, and you follow the five rules in the table above at all hours.

What vehicles can you drive with a Class 5-GDL licence?

A 2-axle single motor vehicle, such as a car or a light truck.
A motorhome without air brakes, unless you hold an air brake certificate. A free practice question covers the air-brake limit.
A trailer with one or more axles, if the trailer has no air brakes.
A moped, a recreational vehicle, or a combination of recreational vehicles and a trailer, if the trailer has 2 axles or less and no air brakes.
Not a vehicle that carries passengers for hire, and not a vehicle with more than 15 seats while it carries anyone other than the driver.

When Class 5-GDL ends: the full Class 5

You can get a full (non-GDL) Class 5 when you are at least 18, have held the Class 5-GDL for at least 2 years, and have been suspension and demerit free for the last 12 months. Since April 1, 2023, there is no advanced road test to leave GDL. The guide to the full Class 5 licence and GDL exit has more detail.

Key Takeaways

Class 5-GDL means at least 2 years of probation in Alberta, and the last 12 months must be free of suspensions and demerits.
Keep passengers at or below the number of seat belts, and keep alcohol and drugs at zero.
Eight demerit points in 2 years means a one-month suspension, and each suspension makes your probation longer.
You cannot supervise a learner, and you cannot move to a Class 1 to 4 licence during probation.
Next step: practise on the free Alberta Class 7 practice test (English only).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many passengers can a GDL driver have in Alberta?

No more people than the vehicle has seat belts. The law does not let a probationary driver drive when the vehicle has fewer seat belts than passengers, so every passenger needs a belt of their own. This rule applies for the full Class 5-GDL stage, day and night.

Does a speeding ticket make my Alberta GDL longer?

It can. Speeding is a demerit offence in Alberta. After a conviction, your probation cannot end until your record has 12 months in a row with no demerit offence, counted from that conviction. The points also count toward the 8-point GDL suspension, and a written notice comes at 4 points.

Does a ticket from another province or the U.S. count on my Alberta GDL?

It can. If you break a law of another province, of Canada or of a U.S. state, the Registrar can treat it as an Alberta demerit offence or specified contravention when the two are equivalent. It can then delay the end of your probation in the same way as an Alberta ticket.

Can I drive passengers for pay on a Class 5-GDL licence?

No. A Class 5 licence does not allow a vehicle that carries passengers for hire. Alberta needs a Class 4 licence when the driver, the vehicle owner or the employer is paid for the trip. A probationary driver cannot apply for a Class 4, so paid passenger driving waits until after GDL.

Can I tow a trailer on a Class 5-GDL licence?

Yes, if the trailer has no air brakes. A Class 5-GDL licence covers a trailer with one or more axles without air brakes. With a recreational vehicle, the trailer can have 2 axles or less and no air brakes. A motorhome with air brakes needs an air brake certificate.