Drivers License Issue

Hey everybody! I'm hoping that someone can assist me with this.

My wife and I moved to NSW a couple of months ago from Alberta. We were under the impression that in order to get a full Australian driver's license we just needed to take our Canadian licenses to the RTO. However, we had both renewed our licenses within the last year in Canada, so they show an "issue date" of just a year ago, so we were only issued Provisional Australian licenses, because they said that our licenses only prove that we have been licensed in Canada for a year (I've been driving for 20 years myself, but the Canadian license doesn't show an ORIGINAL issue date, just the date that it most recently renewed).

We were advised to get documentation from Canada that proves that we've had our drivers licenses for longer than 3 years if we want full Australian licenses and to avoid having to take the time and pay the money to go through the provisional system with all of its restrictions and what-not.

We contacted a Registry in Alberta and were told how to go about requesting a 3-year driver's abstract from overseas (hint: it is a huge pain in the butt, with forms that need to be notarized (not cheap here) and money that needs to be paid). Anyway, we did this, and have now received our Canadian driver's abstracts, and they show the same issue date as our physical licenses (ie the last time they were renewed, just a year ago!).

All of that to say: does anyone have any idea of how one can prove how long they've had their Canadian driver's license? I am at a loss.

Thank you anyone for any assistance.

Hey, not sure if this would help but would a copy of your previous car insurance not tell them how long you have been driving?
I know on my old Ontario insurance it stated that I had 10 years of safe or clean driving. Also if you have insurance you should have a driver's license. So if you can prove insurance you can prove a license??

Hope that helps !

Thanks for the idea, Snuffie, but I don't actually drive so have no record of insurance - I just use my license for identification purposes (and when I need to rent a car).

The registry in Alberta has told me now that I should have requested a Confirmation Letter instead of Driver Abstract, so I guess I will pay to get the "Request for Personal Driving and Motor Vehicle Information" notarized AGAIN, and hopefully they gave me the right information this time.

Moving across the world is expensive, time-consuming and frustrating enough without Canada giving me the wrong information for something like this. They need you to include a pre-paid pre-addressed envelope too, but of course can't accept an Australia Post envelope, so I have to send everything to someone back home and have them buy and address a return envelope and then forward it all to the registry... there really should be an easier way. I know that Ontario lets you request all kinds of information online. I don't know why Alberta insists on hardcopies.

Anyway, I guess I'll report back in another month or however long it takes to get the documents from Canada and let anyone reading this know how it went...

Wow that really sucks. When I switched my license over, I just walked in, showed them my Canadian license and they took my picture and handed me my Victorian licence. And my BC DL had been renewed 6 months previous, but they didn't even mention it. (I think there was a spot on the form for filling in how long you've been driving but they didn't ask for proof of this). I guess VicRoads is more understanding about this?

I don't have any advice unfortunately, as it was so easy for me, but good luck and hope it works out!

Hello all,

In NSW they wouldnt allow us to get a new Drivers License until our Canadian drivers license expired. I did have my old expired drivers license but ran into a similar issue where it only reflected me driving for a couple of years.

I opted to just keep my Canadian Drivers License, and requested a Photo ID card from the RTA instead. Havent had an problems doing this.

The one thing to keep in mind speaking to others is that although you dont recieve points deductions for any tickets while driving with a Canadian license, they are accumulating so if you ever do go for an Aus License you may be starting off with less points.

Hope this helps..