A) PHOTO
:
A photograph of the licence holder is on all N.S. Driver's Licences.
Under certain circumstances, you can get an exemption (and a licence with
no photo on it). For more information, contact the Department (see
Where can you get ...., above).
B) MARKINGS :
A Newly Licensed Driver's Licence has a large
letter "N" on it to alert police that you are a Newly Licensed
Driver.
C) SPECIAL DRIVING RESTRICTIONS :
(1) First restriction -- zero blood alcohol
level: When you have a Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, the
tolerance for alcohol content in your blood when you are driving is ZERO.
That means: if you are stopped while driving, and asked to take a breathalyzer
test, and it shows ANY ALCOHOL CONTENT AT ALL in your blood, your licence
will be suspended for 6 months. If your blood alcohol level is over .05,
you may get an immediate 24-hour roadside suspension
; if it is over .08, you will be arrested
and your licence will be suspended for a full year. And
after your suspension is over, you will have to
start over as a Newly Licensed Driver; see
(D) Points & Suspensions ..., below.
For more information on breath samples and roadside suspension,
see Driver's Licence, (D) Failing
a Breathalyzer Test.
(2) Second restriction -- front seat of vehicle:
When a Newly Licensed Driver is driving, there can be only 1 other
person in the front seat of the vehicle.
(3) Third restriction -- positions and seat
belts: When a Newly Licensed Driver is driving, every single
passenger must be sitting, and every
single passenger must have a seat belt on.
Front seat and back seat.
There cannot be more people in the car than there are seat belts.
For information on the special rules dealing with infants and
small children, contact the Department. (See
Where can you get ...., above)
(4) Fourth restriction -- late-night driving:
A Newly Licensed Driver is not allowed to drive between
midnight and 5 a.m. unless they meet one of the two following
conditions:
(a) they are accompanied by an "supervising driver" -- who has to be sitting in the
front seat of the vehicle.
Note: not just every driver counts as an "supervising driver! [For details, see the
Learner's Licence, Additional Information (C-2).]
(b) or they have gotten a written exemption
from the Department because of their job. A Form APP33 Application for Exemption from Nightime Driving Curfew must be properly completed, signed and submitted with the fee of $33.10 to request the exemption.
For more information on this Curfew Exemption, contact the
Department (see Where can you get
..., above).
D) POINTS & SUSPENSIONS :
Nova Scotia has a demerit point system
for drivers, and this applies to Newly Licensed Drivers. If you are caught
breaking a driving law (for example, by going through a stop sign, or
not wearing a seat belt, or speeding ....), then you will get demerit
points on your licence.
If you get 6
or more points on your licence, it will be suspended for
6 months .
After your suspension is over, then, no matter how long you already
had your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, you will have to go through
the full "waiting period" again. That means, you will
have to wait 2 full years from
the time that your suspension is over before you can graduate to a regular
driver's licence.
For more information on points & suspensions contact the Department
(see Where can you get
..., above.)
E) GRADUATION to the next level
of driver's licence:
After your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence, the next level in the graduated
licensing system is the restricted individual stage
. There are 2 things you have to do before a newly Licensed
Driver can graduate to that licence:
(a) Waiting period: you have to
wait at least 2 full years;
(b) Course: you have to successfully
complete an approved Driver Improvement Program (sometimes called the
"defensive driving" course);
There are 2 kinds of Driver Improvement Programs -- a
full course and a short course. These are explained in the N.S. Driver's
Handbook, or you can contact the Department for information. (See
Where can you get ....., above.)
Note: you must give the Department a copy of the Certificate you get
when you pass the Driver Improvement Program. (This is kept in the Department
records.)
F) ROAD TEST (Driving Examination):
This examination will test your actual driving skill, and will be conducted
by an Driver Enhancement Officer from Service Nova Scotia.
Arranging for a road test: There
are 2 steps: (1) pay for the test, and (2) make an appointment.
Paying for the road test:
(a) You have to pay a fee to take a road test, and you have
to pay it before you can make an appointment.
The fee is $53.00 (tax included).
(b) You can pay for your road test online or at any Registry of Motor Vehicles Service Location or by mail (See Where can you get ....., above.) you
cannot pay for it over the phone.
Keeping your Receipt: When you pay
for the road test, you will get a numbered receipt
(sometimes called a "Driver Examination Receipt" and sometimes a
"road test receipt").
(a) You have to give that number
when you call to make an appointment for your road test. If
you don't have it, you will not get an appointment.
(b) You have to take the receipt with you
when you go for your road test. If you forget it, the road test
will be cancelled (unless you buy another one).
Booking an appointment: You cannot
take a road test unless you MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ahead of time.
The only way to make an appointment
is to call one of these two numbers:
Vehicle: When you come to the
office for your road test, you have to bring a vehicle (car, pick-up,
sport utility vehicle, van or motorcycle) which is: (a) in
good mechanical condition, and (b) which has a
valid Motor Vehicle Inspection sticker [commonly called
a "safety sticker"].
Before the road test starts, the vehicle will be checked by the Examiner.
(If you want to know what the Examiner will be checking, a list of
the items is attached to your road test receipt.) If the safety
sticker is out of date, or if the Examiner does not think the vehicle
is in good mechanical condition, the appointment will be cancelled.
Note: Whenever possible, the vehicle you bring should be the
one you intend to drive after you get your licence. (However, Driving
Schools usually supply the vehicles when their students take a road test.)
Documents: When you come for the
road test, you have to bring 4 papers with you:
(1) your current Driver's Licence
: and
(2) the Vehicle Permit for the
vehicle you are using in the road test; and
(3) the Insurance Card for that
vehicle; and
(4) your numbered Driver Examination Receipt
(which proves that you have paid for the road test).
Unless you have all 4 documents --
AND unless the first 3 are still valid -- the appointment will be cancelled.
Getting to the road test: There
are 2 key things to remember here:
(a) You cannot drive to your road test by yourself; you are still
a Learner Driver, and you still have to have an
"supervising driver" with you [see Learner's
Licence, Additional Information (C-2)]; and
(b) If you are late, there is
a very good chance that your appointment will be cancelled, and you
will have to make another appointment.
Passing the road test: Detailed
information on the road test -- just what it involves, and what you have
to do to pass -- is given in the
N.S. Driver's Handbook . (To get a copy of the handbook see
Where can you get ....,above.)
What if you don't pass? If you
fail a road test, you have to wait at least 7 full days before you can
take another one. You also have to: (1) pay for another test & get
another numbered receipt; and (2) book another appointment.
G) MASTER NUMBER: When you see
the term "Client Master Number" on an application form, this refers to
the number on your Driver's Licence under the heading "Master D M Y".
This 14-digit number is made up of (a) the first 5 letters of your last
name [if your last name has fewer than 5 letters, the difference is made
up with spaces]; (b) plus the day / month / year of your birth; (c) plus
3 computer-assigned numbers.
For example: FOY--220867001 [3 letters (Foy) + 2 spaces + 22
(for 22nd) + 08 (for August, 8th month of the year) + 67 (for 1967) +
001 (3 computer-assigned numbers) ]
For master numbers assigned to a group of individuals (joint ownership),
the last 9 digits are computer-assigned.
H) PENALTIES FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING:
No matter how long you have had your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence,
if you are charged with a 24-hour roadside suspension, or if you are convicted
of violating the zero blood alcohol level [see section (C) above], you
will have to start your two-year waiting period again. There are
no exceptions.
For more information see
Driver's Licence, section (D) Failing a Breathalyzer Test, and (K)
Penalties for Impaired Driving...
I) OTHER INFORMATION:
For more information on any matters discussed in this section,
contact the Department (see Where can
you get ..., above). |
