Toronto Star
Wheels – Your ViewThere is a lack of correct information about the certification of student drivers who have taken a Beginners Driver Education (BDE) course in Ontario.
Sept. 1, 2008, was the first electronic certification. There was no paper certification after that date.
Prior to that date, there were paper certificates issued by the driving schools. This was the proof wanted by the insurance companies so they may offer reduced insurance rates to a new driver.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) still lists on the road-test booking site that a client who wishes to get an early G1 exit road test must bring a certificate with them. This is erroneous information! MTO already has an electronic certificate on file if the student was certified by the driving school that was attended by the client. Soon this error will be corrected by MTO.
Insurance companies still ask for a paper certificate. By the way, the proper name for the certificate is “Driver’s Licence History,” which is not to be confused with the “Driver’s Abstract.”
If the student wishes a copy of his or her Driver’s Licence History, they must pay $12 to the MTO for it. This is available only if the driving school has certified the student, after having paid $15 to MTO. There will be one line on the Driver’s Licence History stating that the student has completed the full requirements of the BDE course.
The full requirements are that the student must finish all the in-class training along with all the in-car training. Only then may the student be reported to MTO by the driving school.
There are still some insurance agents who will ask for a paper certificate from a new driver to prove that a BDE course was completed. To comply with this request, the new driver should obtain a hard copy of the “Driver’s License History” (DLH) certificate.
The driving school does not provide the Driver’s Licence History certificates For details of obtaining a hard copy of your certificate, please visit www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/gradu/studentinfo.shtml.
All insurance companies that operate in Ontario have online access to MTO’s record of the Driver’s Abstract of any of their clients. There is a service fee for each search that any of the insurance companies pay for this privilege. However, the Driver’s License History is not available to them because it is contained in a different database.
MTO is working to improve its website to include driver training info on the Driver’s Abstract. When this will be completed remains unknown.
By Dez Miklós