Driving Tests

How to Get Your Class 7 Instruction Permit in PEI (2026 Steps)

informational·how to guide·Published July 31, 2026

How do you get a Class 7 instruction permit in PEI?

You must be 16 or older, and under 18 your parents or legal guardians sign a consent form. You pass a vision test and a written or oral knowledge test, with no road test. The Fees Regulations set the permit fee and the test fee at $20 (CAD) each. The permit is valid for two years, and Stage 1 of the GDL program starts when you receive it.

Where these rules come from

This guide uses the Highway Traffic Act, its Graduated Driver Licensing, Driver's Licenses and Fees Regulations, and three Highway Safety Division publications: the Co-pilot brochure for parents, the Graduated Driver Licensing booklet (2023) and the Driver's Handbook, as of 2026. The Driver's Handbook was last revised in 2011, so its document list may be out of date. Confirm the rules with Access PEI (princeedwardisland.ca) before you drive.

The steps to a Class 7 instruction permit

1
Check that you can apply
You must be 16 or older, and your driving privilege must not be under suspension.
2
Get the consent form signed if you are under 18
The consent form is in the Co-pilot brochure. It asks for the signatures of both parents or legal guardians. If only one parent can sign, ask Access PEI before you go.
3
Book your test and gather your documents
Make an appointment for your written test. The Driver's Handbook lists a birth certificate, passport or immigration papers for a first permit, plus two documents with your name and current PEI address. If you are under 18, bring the signed consent form and your original birth certificate, not a printed copy. Check the current Access PEI list before you go; the guide on what to bring for your permit covers each document.
4
Pass the vision test
Highway Safety staff test your vision. If you need glasses or contact lenses to meet the standard, your permit carries a condition that you wear them whenever you drive.
5
Pass the knowledge test
The test is written or oral. It covers traffic laws, safe driving practices and road sign recognition, all from the Driver's Handbook. You do not take a road test for the permit.
6
Pay the fees and have your photo taken
You pay the permit fee and the test fee, and your photo is taken for the permit. You get your L decal at the same time.

Taking the knowledge test orally or at a driving school

If you cannot read and understand the written test, you may ask for an oral test. Tell Access PEI about any other needs when you book. If you take a driver education course, the Driver's Handbook says you write the Class 7 test at the driving school. You still take the vision test at a Highway Safety or Access PEI office, and the consent rule for drivers under 18 is the same. The free question page on the permit application shows how these steps fit together.

What the Class 7 permit costs in PEI

The Fees Regulations set two fees for this step: $20 (CAD) for the instruction permit and $20 (CAD) for the test. The L decal has no cost. The next cost comes before the road test: the Novice Driver Course fee in the same regulation is $100 (CAD).

Class 7 permit rules while you drive

Drive only with a supervisor in the seat beside you: a fully licensed driver who has held a valid licence for at least four years, or a licensed driving instructor. Carry your permit with you.
Your blood alcohol and blood drug concentrations must be zero.
If you are under 21, do not drive between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Stage 1 has no other exemption from this curfew.
Do not use a hand-held phone or other hand-held electronic device while you drive.
Show your L decal on any vehicle you drive.
A conviction for an offence that carries demerit points suspends your permit for one month and adds 30 days to the time you must hold it before Stage 2.
The free question page on who must sit beside a Class 7 holder tests the supervision rule.

How long the Class 7 permit lasts

Your permit is valid for two years from the date of issue. Stage 1 of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program starts the day you receive it, and the permit is your Stage 1 driver's licence. Apply for the Class 5 road test after the wait in the table below and before the permit expires. Until you pass the road test and get your Class 5 photo licence, you hold an instruction permit, not a Class 5 licence. The guide to Stage 1 rules, supervisors and curfew explains each rule in detail.

When you can take the Class 5 road test

When you can take the Class 5 road test
Your route	Earliest road test application	Course you also need
No driver education program	365 days after the permit is issued	Novice Driver Course
Driver education program finished in PEI	275 days after the permit is issued	A driver education course that the Registrar recognizes, in place of the Novice Driver Course

Key takeaways

Apply at 16 or older. Under 18, both parents or legal guardians sign the consent form in the Co-pilot brochure.
Pass a vision test and a written or oral knowledge test. There is no road test for the permit.
Pay $20 (CAD) for the permit and $20 (CAD) for the test.
The permit lasts two years. Apply for the road test after 365 days, or 275 days after a PEI driver education program, and before the permit expires.
Next step: practise on the free Prince Edward Island Class 7 practice test. It is in English only.

PEI instruction permit: common questions

I am an adult and have never had a licence. Do I still need a Class 7 permit?

Yes. Every new driver who lives in PEI and applies for a first Class 5 car licence or Class 6 motorcycle licence starts with the Class 7 instruction permit, at any age. From 18 you do not need parental consent. The wait before the road test is the same: 365 days, or 275 days after a PEI driver education program.

Can a parent take back their consent after I get my permit?

Yes. A parent or legal guardian can withdraw consent at any time until you turn 18. When the Registrar gets written notice of the withdrawal, your permit is cancelled at once, and you can no longer drive on it.

What happens if I fail the PEI knowledge test?

You may make an appointment and take another test at a later date. Ask Access PEI when you can book again. Before the next try, review the rules of the road and the road signs in the Driver's Handbook, because the test is based on it.

Can my friends ride with me on a Class 7 permit?

No. Only you and your supervising driver may sit in the front seat, and the only other passengers allowed are members of the supervising driver's immediate family. When you drive with a licensed driving instructor in an approved driver education course, up to four passengers, not counting the instructor, may ride along.

Where does the L decal go on the car?

Place the L decal, a bright yellow sticker with a large black L, on the inside of the windshield, directly above the motor vehicle inspection sticker. It is made to come off, so you can move it to each vehicle you drive during Stage 1.