Driving Tests

PEI Novice Driver Course (NDC): Who Must Take It and the Cost

informational·how to guide·Published July 27, 2026

Is the Novice Driver Course mandatory in PEI, and what does it cost?

Yes, if you hold a Class 7 Instruction Permit and want a Class 5 licence. The Registrar will not issue the Class 5 licence until you complete the Novice Driver Course or a driver education course that the Registrar recognizes. The Fees Regulations set the course fee at $100 (CAD). A finished driver education program in PEI lets you apply for the road test at 275 days, not 365.

Where these rules come from

This guide uses Prince Edward Island law and Highway Safety Division publications, as of 2026: the Driver's Licenses Regulations, the Fees Regulations, the Highway Traffic Act and its Graduated Driver Licensing Regulations, the Driver's Handbook, the 2023 Graduated Driver Licensing booklet, the Co-pilot brochure for parents and the 2022 licence reciprocity sheet. The course details come from the Driver's Handbook, last revised in spring 2011. Confirm the rules with Access PEI (princeedwardisland.ca) before you drive.

Who must take the Novice Driver Course in PEI?

Every Class 7 Instruction Permit holder who wants a Class 5 licence. The Driver's Licenses Regulations apply the rule to any applicant who holds a Class 7 permit: no Class 5 licence until that person completes the Novice Driver Course or a driver education course that the Registrar recognizes. The Driver's Handbook adds that you must finish the course before you are eligible for the road test. If you move to PEI with a valid Canadian instruction permit and no completed driver education program, you take the course too. Test yourself with the question on which course a Class 7 learner must complete.

Novice Driver Course or driver education: the two paths

Novice Driver Course or driver education: the two paths
Question	Novice Driver Course	Recognized driver education course
Who delivers it	Highway Safety or a certified driver education program	A driving school with a certified driver education program
What it includes	About five hours, usually in two separate sessions	At least 25 hours of classroom training, 10 hours behind the wheel and six hours of observation. The classroom part covers the Novice Driver Course material.
Earliest road test application	365 days after your permit is issued	275 days after your permit is issued, once you finish the program in PEI

How much does the Novice Driver Course cost?

The Fees Regulations, as consolidated on May 11, 2024, set the Novice Driver Course fee at $100 (CAD). The course fee is separate from the other fees on the way to a Class 5 licence in the same table: $20 (CAD) for the instruction permit, $20 (CAD) for the instruction permit test and $20 (CAD) for the Class 5 licence test. The guide to PEI driver licence fees lists the other licence fees.

What the Novice Driver Course covers

The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program.
The demerit point system.
The impaired driving parts of the Criminal Code.
Alcohol and drug education.
How to handle certain driving conditions.

How to sign up for the Novice Driver Course

1
Get your Class 7 Instruction Permit
The course is for permit holders. Keep the permit with you: you bring it to the first class.
2
Call an office to register in advance
Call a Highway Safety or Access PEI office near you. Ask where the next course runs and book your place before it starts.
3
Finish the course before you apply for the road test
Complete the course before your Class 5 road test. Without driver education, you can apply for the road test no sooner than 365 days after your permit was issued.

Does driver education shorten the wait?

Yes, by 90 days. Under the Highway Traffic Act, a permit holder can apply for the road test 365 days after the permit is issued, or 275 days after it once they have successfully completed a driver education program in PEI. If your permit is suspended for demerit points during Stage 1, the minimum wait grows by 30 days. With driver education, the whole Graduated Driver Licensing program takes at least two years plus 275 days instead of three years. The guide to the Class 5 road test in PEI explains the next step.

What changes when you learn at a driving school

You write your Class 7 instruction permit test at the driving school.
After you finish the program, the driving school gives your Class 5 road test, unless Highway Safety randomly selects you for its own road test and evaluation.
During your newly licensed driver period, you may have to take a second road test with a Highway Safety examiner. There is no fee for it.

The Novice Driver Course for Newcomers (NDCN)

PEI also has a course for some newcomers: the Novice Driver Course for Newcomers. The 2022 Highway Safety licence reciprocity sheet lists it for drivers whose country is not on the reciprocal or unilateral exchange lists. Their steps are a written knowledge test on the rules of the road and signs, the NDCN, the Graduated Driver Licensing program or a certified driving school, and a road test. A driver who can prove at least two years of experience under a home-country licence has a second option: the Licensed Driver Education Program at a certified driving school in PEI. Access PEI can tell you which list your country is on.

Key takeaways

Plan for the Novice Driver Course, or a recognized driver education course, before your Class 5 road test.
Budget $100 (CAD) for the course, as the Fees Regulations set it, and confirm the amount with Access PEI.
Register in advance through a Highway Safety or Access PEI office, and bring your Instruction Permit to the first class.
Finish a driver education program in PEI to apply for the road test after 275 days instead of 365.
Next step: practise on the free Prince Edward Island Class 7 practice test.

Novice Driver Course: common questions

Can I skip the Novice Driver Course if I take driver education?

Yes, if the Registrar recognizes your driver education course. The law needs one of the two, and the classroom part of a driver education program covers the Novice Driver Course material. A finished program in PEI also lets you apply for the road test at 275 days. See how driver education fits the licensing process.

I moved to PEI with a learner's permit from another province. Do I need the course?

Yes, unless you finished a driver education program. To exchange a valid Canadian instruction permit, you show proof of a completed program, such as a Driver Education Certificate or a letter from a recognized driving school. The Driver's Handbook says that without it, you must take the Novice Driver Course. Waiting periods can also apply before your road test.

When should I take the Novice Driver Course?

Finish it before your Class 5 road test: you are not eligible for the road test until the course is done. Without driver education, the earliest road test application is 365 days after your permit is issued. Courses need advance registration, so call a Highway Safety or Access PEI office early to book your place.

I'm an adult learner. Do I still need the course?

Yes. The rule covers any applicant who holds a Class 7 permit, so an adult learner needs the Novice Driver Course or a recognized driver education course before the Class 5 licence, the same as a teen. The road test wait is also the same: 365 days after the permit is issued, or 275 days after a finished driver education program in PEI.

Are your PEI practice questions free?

Yes. Our Prince Edward Island Class 7 practice test and question pages are free and in English only. They are our own practice questions, written to help you review the rules of the road. They are not questions from the official knowledge test, so study the Driver's Handbook too.