Winter Road Test in Ontario: What Toronto Drivers Need to Know (2026)

Every year around October, a student asks me if they should push their road test to spring. Honestly, I understand why. A winter road test in Ontario sounds like the worst version of a day that's already stressful, and nobody wants their first real snowstorm to happen with an examiner in the passenger seat.

The thing is, it's the exact same test you'd take in July. The examiner uses the same score sheet and the route is the same kind of route. The only real difference is that the road is slippery, so they're watching to see if you actually noticed and drove like it.

If your test is booked for December or January, or you're thinking about moving it, here's what I'd tell you if you were in my car.

Can you take your road test in winter in Ontario?

Yes, you can. DriveTest runs car road tests all year, and the only tests that stop for the season are motorcycle tests. A bit of snow on the ground isn't going to cancel your G2 or G test.

Tests do get cancelled when the weather makes the roads unsafe, like freezing rain or a big storm where the plows haven't caught up yet. When it's that bad, DriveTest can call off tests at a centre, and sometimes that's for the whole day.

What to do if a storm hits on test day

On the morning of your test, check the DriveTest Service Disruptions page. It lists every centre that's running late or cancelling, and DriveTest says they update it a lot in winter. If you don't see your centre there, your test is on.

A lot of people get the next part wrong. If your centre is cancelling because of the weather, don't go online and cancel your booking yourself, because DriveTest says that's how people lose the fee they already paid. Let DriveTest cancel it on their end and then rebook.

If the roads look bad but your centre isn't on the list, go to your test anyway. The examiner knows it's January and isn't expecting summer driving from you. What they want is to see you drive for the road you've actually got.

What changes on a winter road test in Ontario

Nothing on the score sheet changes, but what counts as safe driving does. These are the places I usually see students lose marks once there's snow around.

Speed is the biggest one. The posted limit is the most you're allowed to go, not a number you have to hit, so going a bit under on a snowy street is the right call. Crawling along at 20 in a 50 on a road that's only wet is a different story, though. That comes across as hesitant rather than careful, and examiners mark it. They want to see you look at the conditions and choose a speed that fits them.

Leave more space between you and the car ahead. The MTO Driver's Handbook is clear that you need extra room to stop in snow, and following someone too closely on slush is an easy way to lose points.

Try to keep all your movements smooth. Braking hard, turning sharply or pushing the gas too much is usually what makes a car slide, and sliding on a test is often the end of it. I always tell students to start braking for stops and turns earlier than they would in summer, and then a little earlier than that.

Bridges, overpasses and shaded spots freeze before anything else, so watch for them. The handbook has a tip I like here. Winter asphalt normally looks kind of greyish white, so if a patch looks dark and shiny, treat it like ice and slow down before you get to it.

In snow, use your low beams instead of your high beams. Also turn on your wipers and defrost before you pull out of the lot so you're not squinting through the windshield on the road.

Do you need winter tires for your road test?

You don't legally need them. Quebec requires winter tires but Ontario doesn't, so nobody's going to turn you away for showing up on all-seasons.

The car you test in still matters more than most people think. All-season tires get hard in the cold and lose grip, and you'll notice it the first time you brake for a light on a slushy street and the car keeps rolling longer than you expected. That's not something you want to feel with an examiner sitting next to you.

If you're using your own car for the test, winter tires can also save you money. Since 2016, every insurer in Ontario has had to offer a discount for them. The amount and the rules depend on the company, but most want a full set of four with the small mountain and snowflake symbol on the side, put on by a certain date. It's worth a quick call to your insurer to ask.

Testing in one of our cars? Every Rydbie road test car is set up for winter, so that's one less thing to sort out.

Why a few winter driving lessons before your test are worth it

Plenty of students practise all summer and never drive in snow once. Then the first big storm hits a week before their test, and it feels like they're learning to drive from scratch.

A couple of winter driving lessons in Toronto usually fixes that pretty fast. We'll take you out on a snowy day on purpose, so the first time the car slides a little happens with your instructor and not at DriveTest. You'll practise braking early and turning slowly, and you'll learn where ice tends to form. You'll also get used to driving near your test centre when snowbanks take up half the lane and hide the curb.

Winter lessons help with nerves as well. Students who've already driven in bad weather with an instructor tend to be a lot calmer on test day, because they've been through it before.

Book early if you want to test before the snow

Lots of people try to get their test done before winter starts, so fall gets busy quickly. If you want a November test with some lessons before it, it's best to book both now. If your timing is flexible, taking your test in winter is completely fine, as long as you get a few lessons in the snow first.

Winter road test checklist

• Check the DriveTest Service Disruptions page that morning
• Brush the snow off every window, mirror and light, and the roof too
• Fill your washer fluid with the winter kind so it doesn't freeze
• Leave early so you're not rushing on icy roads
• Wear shoes you can feel the pedals in instead of big winter boots
• Turn on your headlights, wipers and defrost before you pull out
• If your centre cancels, let DriveTest cancel your booking instead of doing it yourself

Before you go

A winter road test in Ontario isn't any harder than a summer one. It just asks you to show the examiner that you can adjust to the road. If you slow down, leave extra space, brake early and keep things smooth, the snow really won't change much.

If you'd like some practice in the snow before your test, book a lesson with Rydbie Driving School and we'll take you out when the weather turns, so test day isn't the first time you drive in it.

Sources

• DriveTest, Service Disruptions
• MTO Driver's Handbook, Driving at night and in bad weather