Rules of the road

Created Thursday 02 October 2025

More resources

Drive in Ontario: visitors
Particularities of Driving in Québec

km/h

See Car matters:miles and kilometres

License and insurance

• As a visitor, your state's driver's license will be accepted
• US auto insurance works in Canada (but you should check that yours works)

Required documents:

• proof of insurance
• vehicle ownership/registration
• driver's license

Safety laws

• Wearing a seatbelt is mandatory
• Using devices is only allowed if hands-free or the engine is off
  • You can get in trouble for merely looking like you're using your phone while driving, even if you're actually not
• Don't drive while intoxicated, obviously

Lanes

• On multi-lane roads, keep right to leave the left lane for passing
• You can't pass on the right (some people will do this but you definitely shouldn't)
• Yield to buses entering your lane

Traffic lights

• You can turn right on a red light if you first fully stop and ensure it's safe to move
  • It's not allowed on the island of Montreal
• You can turn left on a red light if your street and the cross street are both one-way

Signage

Signs in Canada use more symbols and fewer words. They otherwise look similar to signs in the US.

• Signs reference from Ontario's Driver's Handbook
• Signs reference for Quebec (the signs look pretty much the same as Ontario's)

French words you may see on the highway