Canadian · Driver licence numbers
Driver licence number format by province.
What does a Canadian driver's licence number look like in each province and territory? This cheat sheet reproduces the pattern chart published by the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and lets you test a number against every pattern. It is a shape guide, not a way to look anyone up.
Short answer: Lengths run from 5 characters (Nunavut, PEI) to 15 (Ontario: a letter plus 14 digits). Several jurisdictions share a shape, so a number's pattern can narrow the province but not identify it.
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Result
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| Province or territory | Pattern | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta (AB) | 999999999 | 9 |
| British Columbia (BC) | 9999999 | 7 |
| Manitoba (MB) | AKKKKAKXX9XX9 | 13 |
| New Brunswick (NB) | 9999999 | 7 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) | A999999999 | 10 |
| Nova Scotia (NS) | AKKKK999999999 | 14 |
| Northwest Territories (NT) | 999999999 | 9 |
| Nunavut (NU) | 99999 | 5 |
| Ontario (ON) | A99999999999999 | 15 |
| Prince Edward Island (PE) | 99999 | 5 |
| Quebec (QC) | A999999999999 | 13 |
| Saskatchewan (SK) | 99999999 | 8 |
| Yukon (YT) | 999999 | 6 |
Key: A = letter, 9 = digit, X = letter or digit, K = letter or asterisk. Separators such as hyphens are left out.
Where the patterns come from
The FMCSA chart tells US law enforcement how to record a Canadian driver's licence number correctly, leaving out separator characters like hyphens. It is a US federal publication from August 2021 and describes the formats as recorded for enforcement, so a province may change its numbering after that date.
Shared shapes
Alberta and the Northwest Territories are both nine digits; British Columbia and New Brunswick are both seven digits; Nunavut and PEI are both five digits. Pattern alone cannot separate them.
Ontario in detail
See the Ontario driver licence number format page for the letter-plus-14-digits layout and which digits relate to the date of birth.
Privacy
A licence number can encode personal details and is used for identification. Testing happens in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How long is a driver's licence number in Canada?
It depends on the province: 5 characters in Nunavut and PEI up to 15 in Ontario. The table above lists each one, from the FMCSA chart.
What does an Ontario driver's licence number look like?
One letter followed by 14 digits (15 characters), usually printed with dashes, for example A1234-56789-01215.
Can I find the province from a licence number?
Sometimes. Several provinces share a shape (for example 7 digits in BC and New Brunswick), so the pattern can only narrow the list.
Does a matching pattern mean the licence is valid?
No. This page checks shape only. It does not contact any motor vehicle office and cannot confirm a licence exists.
Format check only — not a verification
This page checks the shape of a number only. It does not query, copy or proxy any provincial register, cannot confirm that a number was issued, belongs to anyone or is current, and does not verify identity or coverage. Anything you type stays in your browser. Rules change, so confirm against the sources cited above before relying on it.