Driver Licence Translation for a DriveTest Exchange in Ontario
Exchanging a foreign licence at DriveTest and the card is not in English or French? Send both sides, we return a certified English translation with the class, restriction codes and dates laid out the way the counter expects to see them.
What it costs
A driver licence card counts as one document, front and back together. For a DriveTest exchange, regular certified translation is the service we prepare; the special certifications below are for authorities that name them.
Regular certified translation
- Prepared for DriveTest, immigration, schools, employers and insurers
- Licence class, restriction codes, issue and expiry dates rendered in English
- Signed certification statement with a copy of the original attached
- Print-ready certified PDF, usually within 1 business day
ATIO or Service Ontario certified
- Only when an authority specifically asks for this certification
- Prepared by a certified member of the association
- Not what a routine licence exchange needs
Notarized translation
- For consulates and institutions outside Canada
- Sworn declaration before a commissioner attached to the translation
- Takes longer than a regular certified order
Prices do not include HST. Passport stamp $7 each. Certified PDF free, hard copy by Canada Post free, both together $15, Xpresspost $30. The exact price is confirmed after we see your files, and you pay only after you approve it.
What you get for $59
A licence is a short document, but the package around it is what DriveTest reviews. Every order includes all of this.
- Both sides of the card translated, including small print on the back
- Licence classes, endorsements and restriction codes kept as codes, with the English meaning
- Names transliterated to match your passport spelling when you send it
- Signed certification statement with the translator's name and details
- A copy of the original attached to the translation
- Print-ready certified PDF by email, hard copy by Canada Post on request
How to order
Photograph both sides
Flat, well lit, no glare. Add the driving history letter if you have one.
Approve the price
We confirm the price and the turnaround before anything is charged.
Get the translation
Print-ready certified PDF by email, usually within 1 business day.
Driving documents we translate
Send everything from the same file together. One quote for the whole set is usually cheaper than ordering piece by piece.
| Document | Regular certified |
|---|---|
| Driver licence, front and back | $59 |
| Each additional page | $49 |
| Passport stamp | $7 each |
| Certified PDF, or hard copy by Canada Post | free |
| Certified PDF and hard copy together | $15 |
Prices are per document and do not include HST. If a driving history runs several pages, the quote is calculated from the actual page count.
What slows an order down
Four things account for most of the back and forth. All of them are avoidable at the upload stage.
- Only the front of the cardThe back carries categories, restrictions and issue notes. Without it the translation is incomplete.
- Glare across the licence numberA photo taken through the laminate hides digits. Tilt the card instead of the phone.
- Two spellings of your nameIf the passport spells your name differently than the licence, send the passport page so we can match it.
- A DriveTest appointment tomorrowMost licence translations are ready within one business day, but tell us the date in the form so we can confirm it before you pay.
Questions we get about licence translations
Is a certified translation needed for a DriveTest exchange?
If the licence is not in English or French, you are normally asked for a certified English version. The translation does not replace the licence, it lets the office read it. Follow the instruction from your DriveTest location, because requirements vary by situation.
Do I have to send both sides?
Yes. The back of the card usually carries the licence categories, restriction codes and issue notes, and the translation has to show them.
How fast is it?
A regular certified driver licence translation is usually ready within 1 business day, delivered print-ready by email. A mailed hard copy needs extra time for Canada Post.
Which certification does DriveTest need?
A regular certified translation is the usual service for a licence exchange. Special certifications cost more and are only needed when an authority names them.
Can you translate my driving history too?
Yes. Send it with the licence and the set is quoted together: $59 for the first page and $49 for each additional page.
What if my name is spelled differently on my passport?
Send the passport page with the licence. We transliterate the name to match the identity document you use in Canada and note the original spelling.
Send both sides and get a price
Upload the licence, add the driving history if you have one, and we confirm the price and the turnaround before any payment.