Driving Tests

How to Get Your Full Class 5 Licence in Nova Scotia (Exit GDL)

informational·how to guide·Published October 12, 2026·Updated October 20, 2026

When can I get my full Class 5 licence in Nova Scotia?

In Nova Scotia you can get a full Class 5 licence after you hold a Class 5N licence for at least 24 months in total and finish one approved course. The course can be a 6-hour new driver theory course, a 6-hour driver improvement program or a Class 5 driver education course (25 hours of theory, 10 in a vehicle). No road test is on the list.

Where these rules come from

The Traffic Safety Act (S.N.S. 2025, c. 20) replaced the Motor Vehicle Act on October 19, 2026. The exit rules are in the Driver Licensing Requirements Regulations (N.S. Reg. 236/2026), the novice driver rule is in the Interpretation Regulations (221/2026), and the alcohol, curfew and supervising driver rules are in the Driver's Licence Regulations (226/2026). Old courses are covered by the Traffic Safety Act Transition Regulations (231/2026). The certificate steps come from the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) graduated licensing page and its driving schools page; the graduated licensing page still describes the old Act. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles (novascotia.ca) before you drive.

What you need for a full Class 5 licence

24 months on the N: you have held a Class 5N or 6N licence (or a mix of the two) for at least 24 months in total. Some suspensions restart this count (see below).
One approved course: you have finished one course or program from the table below.
Age and health: you are at least 16 and medically fit to drive a Class 5 vehicle.

Which courses count toward your full Class 5?

Which courses count toward your full Class 5?
Course	Length	Good to know
New driver theory course	At least 6 hours of theory	No in-vehicle part. The RMV driving schools page calls it the "exit GDL course".
Driver improvement program	At least 6 hours of theory	The Registrar may also require it when demerit points reach the set limit.
Class 5 driver education course	At least 25 hours of theory and 10 hours in a vehicle	You drive the car in the in-vehicle lessons.
Class 6 driver education course	Theory and in-vehicle parts	The motorcycle course. It also counts toward a Class 5.
An equivalent course or program	Set by the Registrar	It counts if the Registrar finds it equal to one of the courses above.

Does a course from before October 19, 2026 still count?

Yes. Section 7 of the Traffic Safety Act Transition Regulations says that a driver education course you finished under the old Act before October 19, 2026 meets the rule for the equivalent new course. Its table lists the old courses, among them the driver improvement program for new drivers and the self-improvement defensive driving course. Keep your certificate as proof that you finished the course.

How to exit GDL in Nova Scotia, step by step

1
Count your 24 months
Start from the day you got your Class 5N (or 6N) licence. If you had a suspension, read the next section first, because some suspensions restart the count.
2
Pick one approved course
Choose a new driver theory course, a driver improvement program or a Class 5 driver education course. Ask the driving school to confirm that the course is approved before you pay.
3
Finish the course and get the certificate
The certificate must show your name, your driver's licence client number, the course name, the date you finished and a unique certificate number. Keep the original.
4
Send a copy to the RMV
RMV guidance says to give a copy of the graduation certificate to any RMV office, in person or by mail, for its records. Ask the RMV how it wants the copy now that the new Act is in force.

How suspensions change your 24 months

A peace officer gives you a 24-hour suspension for alcohol or a drug as a novice driver

The time you held the 5N before the suspension does not count. Your 24 months start again.

Your licence is suspended because your demerit points reach the limit

The time you held the 5N before the suspension does not count. Your 24 months start again.

Your licence is suspended at the request of the Director of Maintenance Enforcement (unpaid support payments)

The time you held the 5N before the suspension still counts.

The Registrar rescinds your suspension

The time of the suspension is added to the time you held the licence before it.

You had a different suspension

Section 15 of Regulation 236/2026 sorts each suspension by its section of the Act. Ask the RMV which list yours is on before you plan your exit date.

What happens after you leave the N?

You are still a novice driver. A full licence holder stays a novice driver until the licence has been held for a combined 2 years after the 5N stage ended. Older RMV pages called this the Restricted Individual stage, with "condition 47".
Zero alcohol. A novice driver must not drive with any alcohol in the blood: the limit is 0 mg in 100 ml of blood. The free question page on the alcohol rule for a 5N driver tests the same limit.
No drugs that you may not legally use for a medical purpose.
No supervising. A novice driver cannot act as the supervising driver for a learner or a 5N driver.
A 24-hour suspension. Under section 76 of the Traffic Safety Act, a peace officer suspends a novice driver for 24 hours when a breath sample shows alcohol above zero and below 50 mg in 100 ml of blood.

What if I never send the certificate?

RMV guidance says that if the RMV does not get your graduation certificate, you stay in the newly licensed phase indefinitely. That means the 5N rules, such as the 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew, stay with you after your 24 months. Send a copy as soon as you finish the course, and keep the original and proof that you sent it.

Key takeaways

You need at least 24 months on a Class 5N (or 6N) licence and one approved course to get a full Class 5 in Nova Scotia.
A 24-hour alcohol or drug suspension or a demerit point suspension restarts your 24 months.
A course that you finished before October 19, 2026 still counts.
After the exit you are a novice driver for a combined 2 years: zero alcohol, no drugs that you may not legally use for a medical purpose, and no supervising.
Next step: practise the rules on the free Nova Scotia Class 7 practice test. It is in English only.

Full Class 5 licence in Nova Scotia: common questions

Do I need another road test to get my full Class 5?

No. For a Class 5N holder, the rule in Regulation 236/2026 lists only 24 months on the licence and one approved course. A road test in a Class 5 vehicle is part of a different route: a Class 6 (motorcycle) licence holder who wants a Class 5 takes it.

Do I have to take the full Class 5 driver education course?

No. The course with 25 hours of theory and 10 hours in a vehicle is one choice. A new driver theory course or a driver improvement program, each with at least 6 hours of theory, also meets the rule. So does a course that the Registrar finds equivalent.

Can I take a driver improvement program by choice?

Yes. The regulation says a person may complete one voluntarily, and it is on the list of courses for the exit. It has at least 6 hours of theory. The Registrar can also require it from a driver whose demerit points reach the set limit. See the guide to new driver demerit points.

Do I still have a curfew after I get my full Class 5?

No. The 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew is a condition for a newly licensed (Class 5N or 6N) driver. After the exit, the novice rules that stay for 2 years are zero alcohol, no drugs and no supervising. The guide to Class 5N rules explains the curfew and its exemptions.