Archer’s Blue Car Driving School is very successful at helping new or experienced drivers that are also new to Canada, even if English is not their first language!  Our instructors are very patient with English-as-a-second Language (ESL) students, and use diagrams and photos in addition to verbal instruction to ensure understanding.

All of our lessons are taught in English, but we can offer in-car lessons in French on request.

For students that prefer, we also have female driving instructors available.

If you are new to Canada, but already hold a driver’s license and have driving experience, you might be eligible for a reciprocal license (depending on your home country).  If you are not eligible for a reciprocal license, but have driving experience in your home country, you may be able to waive the GDL requirement by taking the FULL COURSE of driver training.  See below.

We also get many clients that are eligible for reciprocal licensing, but are used to driving on the opposite side of the road…taking 1 or 2 lessons is a great way to get familiar with driving on the *right* side of the road!

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/1928.htm

Alberta has reciprocal licensing agreements with the following countries; if you have a driver’s licence from one of these countries you can exchange it in Alberta without undergoing any additional testing:

Austria

Belgium

England

France

Germany

Japan

Republic of Korea

Scotland

Switzerland

United States

Wales

If your licence is from another country you will have to complete a knowledge test and a road test. For more information about exchanging a driver’s licence Visit Service Alberta’s website for information about exchanging a non-Canadian driver’s licence.

Alberta has a 3-year Graduated Driver Licence (GDL) program for drivers with fewer than two years of proven driving experience.  All driving records will require authentication.

Experienced Drivers:

If under age 25,  with 2 or more years of driving experience, the full-1-year requirement for Class 7 will be waived, and the applicant may immediately take their Class 5 Basic Road Test to become a Class 5 GDL driver (but will not be allowed to take Class 5 Advanced Road Test).  If over age 25, with 2 years or more of driving experience, the applicant will be exempt from the GDL program and may immediately challenge the Class 5 Advanced Road Test.

If you do not have records of your driving history to prove 2 or more years of experience, but are over age 25, you may complete an Alberta government-approved Driver Training certificate course to allow you to be exempt from the GDL program and challenge the Class 5 Advanced Road Test (Archer’s Blue Car Driving School Ltd. offers this training). See Service Alberta for more information.

**If Alberta residency might be an issue for you, you may wish to view the following pages from Service Alberta:  https://www.servicealberta.ca/1305.cfm    and https://www.servicealberta.ca/1741.cfm