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Manitoba handbook · chapter 1 · 13 min read

Graduated Driver Licensing Class 5

Class 5L (Learner) Class 5I (Intermediate) Class 5F (Full)

Minimum 9 months Minimum 15 months 36 months

pass knowledge test

Learner Stage pass road test graduate to Full Stage

Intermediate Stage* Full Stage

• towing permitted • may operate heavy and agricultural equipment • may operate a Class 3 motor vehicle registered as a farm truck

• no towing permitted

• may not obtain Authorized Instruction in Classes 1–4 This side to SPINE • minimum age 16 (15 1 / 2 if in a high school driver education course currently in progress)

• may not apply for Authorized Instruction in Class 1 * Time served in the Intermediate Stage in Class 6 will be applied to the Intermediate Stage in Class 5. Therefore, a driver is only required to complete the Intermediate Stage once.

Keep your licence valid! The Manitoba driver’s licence is valid for up to five years. The driver’s licence charge and base driver premium are assessed annually and due for payment on your anniversary date, which is four months less one day after your birthday. For example, if your birthday is Sept. 21, your anniversary date is Jan. 20. If drivers in the Learner or Intermediate Stage don’t keep their licence active, they will not earn credit for the period of time they’re not licensed. If you own a vehicle, your Autopac will be renewed and expire at the same time as your driver's licence.

Authorized Instruction (A Stage) (non-GDL Learner Stage)

An Authorized Instruction Stage applies to:

Drivers with a Class 5A licence must:

• not operate a Class 3 motor vehicle registered as a farm truck

• not operate off-road vehicles along or across highways

For Classes 1–4 Authorized Instruction, you must:

• for Classes 2-4, hold at least a Class 5 Intermediate or Authorized Instruction licence

• for Class 1, hold at least a Class 5 Full licence

• be a minimum of 18 years of age

• pass the knowledge test and meet the vision and medical standards

• complete a minimum two week learning period

• not have drugs or alcohol in your system if you’re under the drug and alcohol restriction in Class 5

• be accompanied by a qualified supervising driver who holds a valid licence, has held a Class 5F licence for at least three years, and a licence in the class of vehicle being driven for at least two years (The supervising driver must have less than .05 blood alcohol concentration and must not fail a drug screening test.)

Manitoba’s one-piece driver’s licence When you’re issued a new Manitoba driver’s licence, you will be provided with a temporary driver’s licence certificate (valid for up to 45 days). You must carry your temporary driver’s licence certificate with you at all times until you receive your permanent, one-piece driver’s licence in the mail. When you get your first driver’s licence, you will be photographed at your Autopac agent or at a Manitoba Public Insurance Service Centre. You’ll need a new photo every five years.

Please be aware that the Manitoba driver’s licence cannot be used to cross the United States border.

Your driver’s licence must be in your possession at all times while driving and must be produced, along with the vehicle registration certificate, when requested by a peace officer.

Manitoba’s one-piece driver’s licence

Drivers under the age of 18 years are issued driver’s licences that show the exact date of the driver’s 18th birthday.

About the renewal process With our convenient driver’s licences and Autopac policies, you’ll only need to visit an Autopac agent once every five years, unless you want to change or cancel your driver’s licence or policy between renewals.

You will receive a renewal notice once every five years when it’s time to renew your driver’s licence and/or vehicle insurance. You need to visit an Autopac agent to review your coverage and renew your driver’s licence and/or vehicle insurance before it lapses.

However, you still pay for your driver’s licence and vehicle insurance every year. In years between renewals (reassessment years), you will receive an annual statement of account, telling you what you owe.

In your reassessment years, you can choose to pay:

Keep your licence valid Your licence expiry date is printed on the front of your licence. It’s your responsibility to know when your licence expires and when to renew it.

Each year your licence will be reassessed. You will be required to pay for your driver’s licence every year on your anniversary date, which is four months less a day after your birthday. For example, if your birthday is Sept. 21, your anniversary date is Jan. 20.

If you don’t pay the assessed charges for your licence by the anniversary date, your licence can be suspended. You will also not earn credit in the Learner or Intermediate Stage for the period of time you aren’t licensed.

Illegal use of driver’s licence You may be fined and your driver’s licence suspended if you misuse a driver’s licence by:

Operating heavy and agricultural equipment A valid Class 5I licence (Intermediate Stage) or higher is required to operate heavy and agricultural equipment on provincial highways and roads in urban areas. These types of vehicles include tractors, self-propelled farm equipment such as combines, and heavy equipment such as front-end loaders, cranes, forklifts and graders. Provincial highways and urban roads don’t include rural municipal roads, service roads or winter roads controlled or maintained by a local government, such as a rural municipality.

Any person whose driver’s licence is prohibited, suspended and/or disqualified for any reason can be charged with driving while suspended/disqualified if they’re operating heavy or agricultural equipment on provincial highways and roads in urban areas. A conviction for this offence may result in a further suspension of their driving privileges for up to and including lifetime.

Any driver who is subject to a drug and alcohol restriction while operating a Class 1–5 motor vehicle will also be subject to this restriction while operating heavy and agricultural equipment on any roadway.

If you have any questions about operating heavy or agricultural equipment, please call the Manitoba Public Insurance Contact Centre:

In Winnipeg: 204–985–7000 Outside Winnipeg (toll-free): 1–800–665–2410

Occupant restraints

Seatbelts All drivers and passengers must wear the complete seatbelt assembly, where a seatbelt assembly is provided, unless exempted by law.

Ensure the seatbelt is worn properly:

• It must be snug over the shoulder and across the hips.

• The seatbelt fabric must be flat and not twisted.

• The seatbelt must be kept over the shoulder and not under the arm as this could cause serious injury in a collision.

It’s the driver’s responsibility to ensure that every minor in the vehicle is properly secured.

Automatic seatbelt assemblies should not be used to restrain children in infant/child car seats or booster seats situated in the front passenger seat. This refers to a seatbelt that automatically locks into place when the door is closed. Consult your owner’s manual regarding the securement of infant or child restraints in this seating position.

No person shall operate a motor vehicle where the seatbelt assembly has been removed or has been modified to reduce its effectiveness.

Vehicle collisions are the leading cause of the head injuries suffered by thousands of Manitobans every year. Seatbelts play a significant role in reducing head injuries and saving lives.

Infant and child car seats Rear-facing infant car seats Use a rear-facing seat from birth until your baby reaches the maximum weight and height limits listed in the car seat manual. Some car seats are made for children up to 20 kg (45 lb.).

Rear-facing seats offer the best protection because they distribute the impact of a collision along the back of the car seat, which protects your baby’s fragile head and neck.

• The safest position for a car seat is the vehicle’s rear middle seat. If you have more than one child, place the youngest in the middle as their smaller bodies are not strong enough to withstand the impact of a crash.

• Use a seatbelt or Universal Anchorage System (UAS) to install the seat. Don’t use both.

• Check the tension where the UAS or seatbelt is routed through the car seat. You should not be able to move it more than one inch in any direction.

• At least 80 per cent of the infant car seat must be in contact with the vehicle seat.

• Check the level indicators to ensure the infant car seat is at a 45 degree angle.

Check the fit 3 The harness straps should be in the slot that is level with or below your child’s shoulders and fit snugly so you can fit only one finger between your baby’s collarbone and the straps. The straps should lay flat.

3 The straps should be at or below the shoulders to prevent your baby from sliding out of the car seat.

3 The chest clip should be at armpit level.

Forward-facing child car seats Once your child reaches the weight and height limits of their rear-facing seat, they can move into a forward-facing seat. Look for a forward-facing seat that will meet the weight and height requirements of your child for as long as possible. Some seats are made for children up to 30 kg (65 lb.).

The harness straps in a forward-facing seat are designed so the impact is taken where your child’s body is strongest — the shoulders and chest, and then directed down to the hips.

• The safest position for a car seat is the vehicle’s rear middle seat. If you have more than one child, place the youngest in the middle, as their smaller bodies are not strong enough to withstand the impact of a crash.

• The tether strap must always be used to secure the top of the car seat to the vehicle.

• Use a seatbelt or UAS to install the seat. Don’t use both.

• Check the tension where the seatbelt or UAS is routed through the car seat. You should not be able to move the car seat more than one inch in any direction.

Check the fit 3 The harness straps should be in the slot that is level with or above your child’s shoulders and fit snugly so that you can fit only one finger between your child’s chest and the straps. The straps should lay flat.

3 The middle of your child’s ears should not come past the top of the seat.

3 The chest clip should be at armpit level.

Booster seats Once your child reaches the weight and height limits of their forward-facing seat, they can move into a booster seat. Because weight limits can vary among forward-facing seats (some can accommodate children up to 30 kg or 65 lb.), please check the manual for the weight limits of your specific car seat.

Provincial law requires children to remain in booster seats until they’re at least 145 cm (4'9"), 36 kg (80 lb.) or nine years old.

Without a booster seat, a seatbelt rides too high on a child’s stomach and neck and can cause serious injuries. Research shows that booster seats protect children from serious injury by more than 45 per cent.

How to choose a booster seat If your vehicle does not have a head rest, choose either:

• a high-back booster seat that provides head and neck support. Some models convert from a forward-facing seat with a harness to a high-back booster seat.

• an adjustable booster seat that provides adjustable head and neck support as your child grows

If your vehicle has a head rest, choose a backless booster seat, an adjustable booster seat or a backless booster seat that has a seat base and arm rests.

• The safest position for a car seat is the vehicle’s rear middle seat. If you have more than one child, place the youngest in the middle, as their smaller bodies are not strong enough to withstand the impact of a crash.

• Keep an empty booster seat buckled up to prevent it from moving and hitting you in a sudden stop or crash.

Check the fit 3 The shoulder strap should fit over the shoulder and across your child’s chest.

3 The middle of your child’s ears should not come past the top of the vehicle’s head restraint. The head restraint ensures your child has adequate head and neck protection in a collision.

3 The bend of your child’s knees should be in line with the vehicle seat.

3 Never use just a lap belt to secure a child in a booster seat. Always use a shoulder and lap belt.

3 Never allow your child to place the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back as this can cause serious injury.

Seatbelts For your child’s safety, provincial law requires children to remain in booster seats until they’re at least 145 cm (4'9"), 36 kg (80 lb.) or nine years old.

It’s important not to rush to using a seatbelt alone because it’s not designed for a child — the shoulder strap rides too high and could cause serious injuries.

Check the fit 3 Sitting up straight, the seatbelt should fit across your child’s shoulder and chest and sit low across the hips.

3 The middle of your child’s ears should not come past the top of the vehicle’s head restraint. Adjust the head restraint to ensure your child has adequate head and neck protection in a collision.

3 The bend of your child’s knees should be in line with the vehicle seat.

3 Never allow your child to place the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back as this can cause serious injury.

The chances of being fatally injured in a collision can be decreased by as much as 70 per cent if you wear a seatbelt. Shoulder belts further increase your safety.

Next chapter
Safe and legal driving practices