Driving Tests

Is Driver Education Mandatory in Saskatchewan? Hours and Age

informational·how to guide·Published May 25, 2026

Is driver education mandatory in Saskatchewan?

Yes. In Saskatchewan, a Class 7 learner cannot get a Class 5 licence until they finish driver education with an SGI-certified instructor. There are two routes: the high school program (30 hours in class, 6 hours in the car) or a course of at least 6 hours in class and 6 hours in the car (age 16 and up). Finish it before your Class 5 road test.

Where these rules come from

This guide uses the SGI handbook page on mandatory driver education, the SGI page on Graduated Driver Licensing and The Driver Licensing and Suspension Regulations, 2006, as of 2026. It also uses The Driver Training Regulations, 2011, the SGI Driver's Handbook (2026-27) and the SGI Co-Pilot's Manual. Confirm the rules with SGI (sgi.sk.ca) before you drive.

Saskatchewan driver education: high school program vs driving school

Saskatchewan driver education: high school program vs driving school
Detail	High school program	Driving school course
Classroom hours	30	At least 6
In-car hours	6	At least 6
Youngest age for a Class 7 licence	15, while enrolled	16
Who teaches	SGI-certified instructors of your board of education	SGI-certified instructors of a registered driving school

Where driver education fits in the licence steps

1
Class 7 learner's licence
Pass the Class 7 Basic and Sign exams, then practise with a supervising driver for nine months. The Class 7 learner's licence steps cover the age rules and the paperwork.
2
Driver education
Finish the high school program or a driving school course with an SGI-certified instructor.
3
Class 5 road test
Take the road test with proof that you finished driver education. Without that proof, SGI reschedules the test.
4
Class 5 Novice 1, then Novice 2
Update your Class 7 licence to a Class 5 at a motor licence issuer. Drive six months as Novice 1, then 12 months as Novice 2 with no incidents. The free question on the order of the graduated licensing stages shows the full order.

What the classroom and in-car hours cover

Classroom time teaches you how the traffic system works. In the high school program, the classroom part also includes the Class 7 Basic and Sign exams, which you write online before the in-car lessons start.
The in-car hours can mix observation from the car and your own driving. You practise handling the car in traffic and special manoeuvres such as parallel parking.

Can you start driver education at 15?

Yes, but only through the high school program. The minimum age for a Class 7 licence is 16, or 15 if you are enrolled in, or have finished, a high school driver training program under the direction of the Government of Saskatchewan.
If you are 15 and registered in a certified program but placed on a waiting list, you can still write the Class 7 exam at any SGI driver examination office. Bring a copy of the Signature/Guarantor Form that says you are enrolled or intend to enrol. Your high school has the form, and so does the SGI website.

High school or driving school: which one fits you?

You are 15

The high school program is your only route. Go to the parent information night, and ask the school about its waiting list.

You are 16 or older and still in high school

Either route meets the rule. Every board of education in Saskatchewan offers the high school program. In the high school program, you write the Class 7 exams online through a free MySGI account, which any SGI motor licence issuer can set up when you show your ID.

You are 16 or older and not in high school

Take a driving school course of at least 6 hours in class and 6 hours in the car with an SGI-certified driver instructor.

How to choose an SGI-certified driving instructor

Ask to see the instructor's certification card, and check that it is valid. Anyone who teaches driving for pay needs a driver instructor certificate and must work for (or own) a registered driver training school, or work for an educational authority such as a board of education.
Use the list of SGI-certified driving instructors at sgi.sk.ca/drivereducator.
Be careful with any promise that you will pass. A school or instructor cannot say or suggest that a licence is guaranteed after the course.
Ask each school for its price and for what the price includes before you book.

Proof of driver education for the road test

The instructor either adds your training record to your SGI customer file or gives you a Driver Education Certificate. If SGI has no training record for you, show the certificate to the examiner at your Class 5 road test. The free question on what to present when your record is not on file covers this. Before you book, read the Class 5 road test guide.

New residents: can SGI waive driver education?

Yes, in some cases. If you move to Saskatchewan with a licence from a province, state or country that Saskatchewan does not honour, SGI may waive the nine-month learner period and the driver training requirement when you prove past driving experience. The proof is a valid licence in English or French, or a valid licence in another language with a translation document that SGI accepts, such as an International Driving Permit. Ask SGI about your case before you sign up for a course.

Key takeaways

Every Class 7 learner in Saskatchewan must finish driver education before a Class 5 licence.
Two routes: the high school program (30 hours in class, 6 in the car) or a driving school course (at least 6 and 6, age 16 and up).
At 15, only the high school program lets you hold a Class 7 licence.
Check the instructor's certification card. Bring your Driver Education Certificate to the road test if your training record is not on file.
Next step: practise for the Class 7 Basic and Sign exams on the free Saskatchewan Class 7 practice test.

Saskatchewan driver education: common questions

I am 25 and learning to drive. Do I still need driver education?

Yes. The rule covers every Class 7 learner, and Saskatchewan's graduated licensing program applies to new drivers of any age. Take a course of at least 6 hours in class and 6 hours in the car with an SGI-certified driver instructor, and hold your Class 7 licence for nine months before the road test.

What happens to my Class 7 licence if I leave the high school program at 15?

At 15, your Class 7 licence stays valid only while you are enrolled or registered in the high school driver training program, or after you finish it. If you leave the program before you finish it, the licence is not valid while you are 15. Talk to your driver educator before you drop the course.

Do simulator hours count as in-car driver education?

In a high school program, yes, in part. Four hours on a driving simulator count as 1 hour of in-car instruction. Simulator time can replace no more than 3 of the 6 in-car hours, so at least 3 of those hours take place in a real training car.

Can I take driving lessons in my own car?

Only in a few cases. A Class 5 car that an instructor uses for training must have dual brakes, special rear-view mirrors for the instructor and a rear "Student Driver" sign that is visible from 30 metres. The law lets some students train in a car they own, for example a student with a physical disability who needs special or modified controls.

How soon after driver education can I take the road test?

The wait comes from the learner stage, not from the course. You must hold your Class 7 licence for at least nine months (274 days in the law) before the road test, or SGI reschedules it. Time when your licence is suspended, refused or not renewed does not count toward the nine months.