How to Get Your Driver’s Abstract in Ontario

To get a driver’s abstract in Ontario, order one from ServiceOntario online, by mail, or in person at a ServiceOntario centre. The most common version, an uncertified 3-year driving record, costs $12 and arrives as a PDF by email within minutes when you order online. Certified copies carry an embossed Ministry of Transportation seal, cost $18, and take up to 15 business days to process before being mailed.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record

Ordering Online

The online route is the fastest. Go to the driver record ordering page on ontario.ca, choose the type of record you need, and enter your driver’s licence number along with the other identifying details the form asks for.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record

Payment online is by Visa or Mastercard credit card, or by Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. Interac is not accepted online; you can only use it in person.2Government of Ontario. Payment Help – Driver and Vehicle Online Services Uncertified records come back as a PDF by email right away. Certified records go through the 15-business-day processing window and arrive by Canada Post.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record

Ordering by Mail

Download and print the Record Search Application form from the ServiceOntario website. Fill in your driver’s licence number (or registrant identification number), name, address, and date of birth, then mail the completed form with payment to:

Ministry of Transportation
Information Services Office
Information and Data Retrieval Unit
87 Sir William Hearst Avenue, Room 158-D
Toronto, Ontario M3M 0B43Government of Ontario. Get Longer-Term Driving Records or Letters and Documents

Pay by Visa or Mastercard, or include a personal cheque or money order in Canadian dollars payable to the Minister of Finance.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record Allow 15 business days for processing, then add regular mail time.

Ordering in Person

Walk into any ServiceOntario centre, ask for the record you need, and show your Ontario driver’s licence. In-person payment is the most flexible: cash, debit, Visa or Mastercard, or a certified cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record

Uncertified records are handed to you at the counter. Certified records still take 15 business days and are mailed by Canada Post.4Ministry of Transportation Ontario. Certified 3 Year Statement of Driving Record

Which Record to Order

Before you order, you have to pick which record you actually need. Most people want the 3-year driver record: it shows your demerit point total, convictions under the Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code, and any suspensions or reinstatements from the past three years. It leaves out your residential address for privacy reasons.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record Employers and insurers almost always ask for this one.

Longer options exist if you need them. A 5-year record covers Highway Traffic Act convictions for three years and Criminal Code convictions for five. An extended record reaches back through every conviction, suspension, and reinstatement the Ministry has on file.3Government of Ontario. Get Longer-Term Driving Records or Letters and Documents The complete driver record is the only one that includes collisions; it also lists every residential address on file and your full licence history, and it costs more.

The driver’s licence history is a separate document that shows licence class changes, renewals, replacements, beginner driver education, and past and current addresses, but not convictions or demerit points. Only you or a Canadian law enforcement agency can order it.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record

Fees by record type:

Certified or Uncertified?

Any of these records can be ordered either way. A certified record carries the embossed Ministry of Transportation seal and is typically required for court proceedings or when applying for a licence in another province or country. An uncertified record is enough for everyday purposes, including employer background checks and insurance applications, and it costs less.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record Pay for the certified version only if someone has specifically told you they need one.

If You Live Outside Ontario

Moved out of the province but still need your Ontario record? Mail is your only option. Complete the Record Search Application form, include your payment, and send it to the Ministry of Transportation’s Information Services Office in Toronto.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record Pay by Visa or Mastercard, or by personal cheque or money order in Canadian dollars. Processing takes 15 business days and the record is returned by Canada Post, so factor in international delivery time if you’re outside the country.

Commercial Drivers Need a Different Record

If you drive commercial vehicles in Ontario, a standard driver’s abstract will not show what carriers and fleet managers actually want to see. The CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration) Driver Abstract is a separate five-year record that includes collisions, safety-related offences, convictions, inspections, licence status, and medical due date.6Government of Ontario. Get a Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) Abstract or Carrier Record It costs $5 uncertified and $10 certified, and you can order it online, by mail, or in person at ServiceOntario.

When Someone Else Is Pulling Your Record

Anyone can order a 3-year driver record for someone else as long as they have that person’s driver’s licence number. No consent form is required for the basic 3-year record, which is why employers routinely pull driving records during hiring for positions that involve driving.1Government of Ontario. Get a Driving Record The driver’s licence history is different: because it contains address information, only you or a Canadian law enforcement agency can order it.