ONTARIO CLASS A / AZ GUIDE

How to get your AZ licence in Ontario

AZ is Ontario shorthand for a Class A licence with the Z air-brake endorsement — the licence for driving a full tractor-trailer. This guide walks the whole path in order: eligibility, medical and vision, mandatory training, the knowledge test, and the road test.

Last verified: November 4, 2026 against the official Ontario and DriveTest pages listed at the bottom of this guide. Rig Toolbox is an independent study site, not part of the MTO or DriveTest.

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Step 1 — Check you are eligible

To get a full Class A licence with no restrictions, Ontario requires you to:

  • be at least 18 years old;
  • hold a valid Ontario licence other than G1, G2, M, M1 or M2;
  • pass a vision test;
  • submit a valid medical report;
  • pass a knowledge test about operating large trucks and tractor-trailers;
  • complete a mandatory entry-level training course (Step 4);
  • pass a road test using a vehicle that meets the requirements for a full Class A (Step 5).

Coming January 1, 2027: drivers taking the Class A road test must have held a Class G or higher driver's licence for at least 6 months.

When you apply, bring original identification that shows your legal name, date of birth and signature. You apply and take your tests at a DriveTest centre (the ServiceOntario Bay and College location in downtown Toronto also takes applications, by appointment only).

Step 2 — Medical and vision

Ontario commercial licensing is conditional on your health and eyesight meeting the standard. You submit a valid medical report as part of your application — blank medical forms are available from any DriveTest centre — and you pass a vision test. Do this early: a medical or vision problem found late can stall the whole process.

Step 3 — Study, then pass the knowledge test

The knowledge test covers operating large trucks and tractor-trailers, and its questions are based on the Official MTO Truck Handbook. Study the handbook first — it is the source the test is written from.

  • Knowledge tests are created by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and administered by DriveTest at DriveTest centres.
  • The test is multiple choice and not timed; DriveTest says a knowledge test typically takes 20 to 30 minutes.
  • You must earn a total score of at least 80% to pass.
  • No appointment is needed for a knowledge test — DriveTest recommends arriving at least one hour before the office closes. Tests are marked on the spot.
  • Test results are valid for one year. If you do not pass, you can pay the fee and try again; within that year you only re-take the sections that did not meet the standard.

Practise first with our Ontario AZ practice test or read the full bank on the Ontario AZ questions & answers page.

Step 4 — Complete mandatory entry-level training (MELT)

A mandatory entry-level training course must be successfully completed before attempting the Class A road test. Ontario's mandatory training includes at least 103.5 hours of instruction covering the entry-level knowledge and skills needed to operate a large truck safely.

  • Training must come from an approved provider recognized by the province — a registered career college, or an organization under the Ministry of Transportation's Driver Certification Program (which includes approved Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology).
  • When you finish, your driving record is updated automatically, and the training is valid for life.
  • Training providers set their own prices, so compare approved providers and ask each one for its current cost — there is no single official price.
  • Mandatory training is not required for a Restricted Class A (AR) licence — but upgrading from AR to a full Class A requires completing it at that time.

Step 5 — Pass the road test

The road test checks that you can safely operate a commercial vehicle. For a full, unrestricted Class A your test vehicle must have:

  • a trailer with a Manufacturer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of at least 4,600 kg;
  • a full air brake system on both the truck/tractor and the trailer;
  • a manual transmission with at least eight forward gears and a high-low range — testing in an automatic, semi-automatic or automated-manual vehicle puts a manual-transmission restriction on your licence.

The road test includes a daily vehicle inspection test: you will inspect six randomly generated items from the schedule — demonstrating and describing how each is inspected, explaining potential defects, and saying what you would do about them — plus an in-cab check. For every commercial road test you must hand the examiner a valid daily inspection report and the schedule for your vehicle, or the test is cancelled and you lose 50% of the pre-paid road test fee. Book, cancel or reschedule through DriveTest; cancel at least 48 hours ahead to avoid a cancellation fee.

If your vehicle does not meet the full Class A requirements, you can reschedule, or take the test and receive a restricted Class A licence (condition R) instead — a restricted licence cannot be used to pull a trailer equipped with air brakes or to drive a full-size tractor-trailer.

The Z part — the air-brake endorsement

"AZ" means Class A plus the Z endorsement, and you need the Z endorsement to drive any vehicle with an air brake or air-over-hydraulic brake system in Ontario. There are two routes:

  • Take an air brake endorsement course with a vehicle fleet owner, a community college or a safety organization. You receive a referral envelope — take it to a DriveTest centre within 6 months to have the endorsement added.
  • Test at a DriveTest centre: pass the air brake knowledge test, then book and pass the practical test. Study with the Official Air Brake Handbook first.

What can you drive with a full AZ?

  • any truck/tractor-trailer combination;
  • a combination of a motor vehicle and towed vehicles where the towed vehicles exceed a total gross weight of 4,600 kg and have air brakes;
  • a vehicle pulling double trailers;
  • heavy trucks covered by the Class D licence, and cars and light trucks covered by Class G.

A Class A licence does not let you drive a bus carrying passengers, a motorcycle or a moped.

Fees

Ontario and DriveTest publish the current licence and test fees on their official fee lists, and those amounts change over time — so instead of printing a figure here that could go stale, check the fee list linked from the official truck-licence page below before you budget. Training costs are set by each approved provider.

Keep studying

Ontario AZ practice test and study guide · Ontario AZ questions & answers · Ontario AZ licence FAQ · Canada driving practice tests

Official sources