Driving Tests

What ID Do You Need for a Manitoba Driver's Licence?

informational·how to guide·Published September 29, 2026

What ID do you need for a Manitoba driver's licence?

For a first Manitoba driver's licence, you show valid original documents that prove five things: birth date, legal name, photograph, Manitoba residency and permanent address, and entitlement to be in Canada. You need two documents that prove you live in Manitoba, and each one must be dated within 90 days of your application. Photocopies are not accepted.

Where these ID rules come from

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) sets the identity rules. This guide follows the MPI Establishing Your Identity guide (June 2025) and its document list, the online Driver's Handbook and the complete Driver's Handbook PDF for the under-18 approval form. It is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Manitoba Public Insurance (mpi.mb.ca) before you drive.

The five things your documents must prove, with examples

The five things your documents must prove, with examples
What you must prove	Examples from the MPI document list
Birth date	Canadian passport, a birth certificate from a Canadian provincial or territorial vital statistics agency, or a Permanent Resident Card
Legal name	The same documents as for birth date. If your name changed, add linking documents
Photograph	Canadian passport, Permanent Resident Card, a foreign passport with a Government of Canada immigration document, or a driving permit from another Canadian province or territory. A birth certificate does not prove this
Manitoba residency and permanent address	Two documents, for example a utility bill, a bank statement, a residential lease, an enrolment letter from your school or a Manitoba Health card
Entitlement to be in Canada	Canadian passport, Canadian birth certificate, Permanent Resident Card, or a Study Permit or Work Permit

Rules for the documents you bring

Valid originals only. Bring the real documents, not photocopies. Each one must come from an authority such as a federal government, federal agency or province.
Birth certificates. The certificate must come from a vital statistics agency of a Canadian province or territory. MPI does not accept a birth certificate from a Manitoba Division or District Registrar.
Some expired cards are accepted. Permanent Resident Cards and driving permits from another Canadian province or territory can still prove identity when expired. Check that your other documents are valid.
One document can prove several things. A Canadian passport covers birth date, legal name, photograph and entitlement to be in Canada. It does not prove your Manitoba address.
Manitoba Health card. You can choose to use it as one proof of residency. You show the original card, and the agent makes the copy for MPI.

How to get your ID documents ready

1
Open the Proving My Identity tool
The tool at mpi.mb.ca shows which documents prove each of the five things. The MPI identity guide also has a document list insert.
2
Collect valid originals
Check the expiry date on each card, unless it is one of the cards that MPI accepts when expired.
3
Check the dates on your address documents
You need two. Each must be dated within 90 days of the day you apply.
4
Add linking documents if your name changed
Bring the documents that show how your names connect. The next section lists them.
5
Get the approval form if you are under 18
A parent or legal guardian signs it. The under-18 section below names the form.
6
Register with an Autopac agent
Bring your documents to an Autopac agent, the most convenient way to register as an MPI customer. You must register before you take the Manitoba Class 5 knowledge test.

What to bring in your situation

Your current legal name differs from the name on your proof of legal name

Bring linking documents: a marriage certificate issued by a vital statistics agency, a certificate of resumption of surname or of election of surname, a change of name certificate, or a valid Canadian passport.

You want to go back to a previous surname after a marriage ends or a spouse dies

Bring a divorce certificate, a decree absolute or other Canadian court order, or a death certificate.

You are under 18 and have no address documents in your own name

Your parent's or legal guardian's Manitoba Health card can prove your residency if you are listed on the back of the card as a dependant.

You have only one acceptable document with your address

A completed Guarantor Declaration form can serve as your second residency document.

You have no acceptable documents with your photograph or address

In exceptional cases, MPI may accept a completed Guarantor Declaration form instead.

You live in a rural area and have no second document with a physical address

The second document can show your mailing address.

Who can be your guarantor

A guarantor must be a Canadian citizen who lives in Canada.
The guarantor must have known you for at least two years.
The guarantor must hold a valid Manitoba driver's licence or identification card when you apply, and must have held it for at least two years.
The guarantor fills out and signs the Guarantor Declaration form. Get it at mpi.mb.ca, from any Autopac agent or at an MPI Service Centre. Attach a photo of yourself that carries the guarantor's signature.
A guarantor can vouch only for your photograph and your Manitoba address. Your other documents must prove your birth date, legal name and entitlement to be in Canada.

Under 18: the parent or guardian approval form

If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must consent to your application. The form is the Parental or Legal Guardian Approval for a Person Under 18 Years of Age to Apply for a Driver's Licence, on page 130 of the complete Driver's Handbook PDF. You hand it in when you ask for a knowledge test, and you must prove your age and identity before you take the test. If you passed the knowledge test in the Driver Z Program, hand in the form before your licence is issued. The guide to the Class 5L learner licence covers the other steps of a first licence.

Why MPI checks your ID before a licence

Identity checks help protect Manitobans from identity theft. They also make sure that a licence goes only to a person who is in Canada legally, as a citizen, a permanent resident or a visitor. The same check applies to a first licence and to a move to Manitoba from another province or country. Try the free practice question on why MPI asks for identity documents.

Key takeaways

Your documents must prove birth date, legal name, photograph, Manitoba residency and permanent address, and entitlement to be in Canada.
Bring valid originals. Two address documents are required, each dated within 90 days of your application.
A name change needs linking documents. With no photo or address documents, a Guarantor Declaration form may be accepted in exceptional cases.
Under 18, one parent or legal guardian signs the approval form before your knowledge test.
Next step: practise on the free Manitoba Class 5 practice test.

Manitoba driver's licence ID: common questions

Is a birth certificate enough to get a Manitoba learner's licence?

No. A birth certificate from a Canadian provincial or territorial vital statistics agency proves your birth date, legal name and entitlement to be in Canada. It does not prove your photograph or your address. Add a photo document such as a Canadian passport, and two Manitoba address documents dated within 90 days of your application. With no photo document, MPI may accept a Guarantor Declaration form in exceptional cases.

Does the 90-day rule apply to the Guarantor Declaration form?

No. The form has no expiry date, so the 90-day rule for proof of Manitoba residency does not apply to it. If the form is your second residency document, your other address document must still be dated within 90 days of your application.

Does MPI keep copies of my ID documents?

Yes. MPI keeps electronic scans of your documents on file in a secure database. If you use a Manitoba Health card, the agent photocopies the whole card, returns the original to you and sends a scan of the copy to MPI over a secure, encrypted connection.

Can I get a Manitoba ID card instead of a driver's licence?

Yes, if you do not drive but need photo identification. A Manitoba Identification Card costs CAD 20 and is valid for five years. It uses the same identity documents as a licence. You cannot hold both a driver's licence and an identification card.

Do both parents have to sign the under-18 approval form?

No. Only one signature, from a parent or a legal guardian, is required. The person who signs can later ask the Registrar in writing to cancel the licence, and the Registrar must cancel it while you are under 18.