Anyone in Nova Scotia who has a Newly Licensed Driver's Licence has to graduate to the Restricted Individual stage before they can exit the Graduated Driver Licence system.

Restricted Individuals:: In Nova Scotia, there are two different types of this licence:

(1) Class 5R with condition 47 (for "Restricted Individual"...) -- which allows you to drive cars, pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans seating less than 10 people;

(2) Class 6R with condition 47 -- which allows you to drive a motorcycle.

This section is about the passenger vehicle restricted individuals
(Class 5R with condition 47).
For information on Class 6R with condition 47, see Motorcycle Driver's Licence .

Graduated system: Nova Scotia has a Graduated Driver Licensing system with 3 stages: 
(1) Learner's Licence, sometimes called a Beginner's Licence [see Learner's Licence ]; 
(2) Newly Licensed Driver's Licence (see New Licensed Driver’s Licence); and 
(3) The Restricted Individual stage.

For passenger vehicle Restricted individuals (Class 5R with condition 47).
To get this licence, you have to do 2 things:
(1) You have to have a Newly Licenced Driver’s Licence .
(2) You have to complete a minimum two year driving period.
(3) You have to complete an approved driver education course and present the completion certificate at a Registry of Motor Vehicles office.
There is more information on this later in this section; see Additional Information (E), below.

You will automatically become a Restricted Individual once you have completed the requirements to exit the Newly Licensed Driver stage. Although it is not a requirement, you may choose to exchange your Newly Licenced driver's licence for a Restricted Individual driver's licence. There is no fee to exchange your licence, provided you choose to use the same photo.

(a) A N.S. Licence is valid for 5 years, and can be renewed. The Department will send out a renewal notice before your licence expires. (So be sure to let the Department know if you change your address!)

At any point during the last 6 months before it expires, you can renew your Newly Licensed Driver's Licence. But not before. (That means that usually your licence has to be at least 4 1/2 years old before you can renew it.)

(b) You have to come to the office in person to renew this licence, because a new photo must be taken for the licence.

(c) You can pick up the Application for Driver Licence form you need at the service counter.

(d) When you are speaking to the customer service representative at the counter, you must tell them if either of these 2 situations apply to you:

1) If your licence was suspended or revoked at any point since the last time you renewed it;
or
2) If there have been any changes in your physical or mental condition which might have changed your ability to drive (for example, you did not need glasses for driving before, but now you do.....)

Note: If either of those two situations apply to you, and you don't tell the counter person when you are renewing your licence, your driving privileges may be cancelled.

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 Restricted Individual Driver's Licence has a large letter "R" on it to alert police that you are a Restricted Individual.  It also has a special condition called “condition 47” printed on the back. The condition explains the driving restrictions and condition expiry date.

C) SPECIAL DRIVING RESTRICTIONS:
(1) First restriction -- zero blood alcohol level: 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.

For more information on breath samples and roadside suspension, see Driver's Licence, (D) Failing a Breathalyzer Test.

(2) Second restriction - You cannot act as a Supervising Driver for another driver.

D) POINTS SUSPENSIONS:
Nova Scotia has a demerit point system for drivers, and this applies to Restricted Individuals. 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.

For more information on points & suspensions contact the Department (see Where can you get..., above.)

E) GRADUATION to a regular driver's licence: 
To graduate from the Restricted Individual stage to a regular driver’s licence you must complete the following:
(a) Driving period: you have to drive for an additional 2 full years before you may become a regular driver.

F) 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.

G) PENALTIES FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING: 
Nova Scotia has a zero tolerance for impaired driving. If you are convicted of driving while impaired you will lose your driving privileges for various periods of time and have to pay substantial fines and fees.

For more information see Driver's Licence, section (D) Failing a Breathalyzer Test, and (K) Penalties for Impaired Driving...