Commercial Driving After a DUI in Ontario
Zero tolerance applies whenever you are behind a commercial wheel, the fines are twenty times higher, and an interlock condition reaches the work vehicle too.
For drivers who have been off the road
Refresher lessons after time off the road
If your licence was invalid for three years or more, you have a road test ahead of you and possibly years since you last drove. The device is only half the problem.
Who books refresher driving lessons in Ottawa
Drivers whose licence was invalid long enough to trigger the road-test requirement — three years or more — and who have not been behind a wheel for most of that time. The interlock is new, but so is everything else.
Some people book refresher hours instead of the full ten-hour course, because they are already comfortable with the device and only want the driving back. Others book them alongside it.
What comes back slowest
After three years off the road, in our experience, in this order:
- Mirror and shoulder-check discipline. The habit decays first and examiners score it hardest.
- Parallel parking and three-point turns. Rarely as bad as people fear, but they want repetition in a real street rather than an empty lot.
- Roundabouts and lane discipline. Ottawa has added roundabouts since a lot of our clients last drove, and they are the single most common surprise.
- Judging gaps in traffic. This one is confidence rather than skill, and it only comes back with time in the seat.
How it is arranged
Bought in hours rather than as a fixed package, because the amount needed varies enormously. We will tell you honestly partway through whether you need more time before booking a test — and if you are ready sooner than you thought, we will say that too.
Lessons run in a vehicle with an interlock fitted, so the device practice happens naturally alongside the driving rather than as a separate exercise.
If you also need the car on test day
Refresher hours and the road-test car book together, and the lessons are scheduled backwards from your DriveTest appointment.
Which do you need?
Refresher hours or the full course
| Your situation | What we would suggest |
|---|---|
| Device is new, and you have not driven in years | The ten-hour course. It covers both. |
| Comfortable with the device, rusty behind the wheel | Refresher hours only. |
| Driving regularly, device is new | The ten-hour course, or fewer hours focused on the device. |
| Driving regularly and used to the device | Just the car and the warm-up hour on test day. |
You might not need a road test at all
Before you book anything, check how long your licence was invalid. It is the only thing that decides whether a road test is required, and we would rather tell you now.
- 1–3 yrs
- Eye test only — no road test. A first conviction carries a minimum one-year suspension, so most first-time drivers land here.
- 3–10 yrs
- Knowledge test, eye test and two road tests, with no mandatory waiting between them. This is who we are for.
- 10+ yrs
- You reapply as a new driver and serve every graduated licensing waiting period. No fast-tracking.
Refresher lessons pair naturally with the ten-hour ignition interlock training course and with interlock car rental for your road test. Whether you need a test at all is covered in getting your licence back after a DUI in Ontario, and our ignition interlock program reviews are worth reading first. See also about our Ottawa interlock driving school and the ignition interlock training FAQ.
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Availability & pricing
Tell us how long it has been.
How long since you last drove, and whether a test date is already set. We will suggest a number of hours and quote it, and we will not oversell you the full course if you do not need it.
- Answered the same day, Monday to Saturday
- A written figure with everything included
- If you don’t need a road test, we’ll tell you that instead
Phone is faster. Someone answers Monday to Saturday, evenings included.