Reviewed by Daniel Mirkovic and Sunny Dhiman
Updated December 11, 2024 | Published December 2, 2024
Noun
dri·ver’s abs·tract | ˈdrī-vərz ab-ˈstrakt
Definition: An official record of an individual’s driving history over a period, typically issued by a provincial or state licensing authority.
Tom was caught speeding in a construction zone; the offence will be reflected in his driver’s abstract.
The important points
A driver’s abstract is a document that summarizes information about a driver, their driver’s licence, and their driving history. Insurers often request it when someone applies for car insurance.
Only moving violations (those committed while the vehicle is in motion) are disclosed on the abstract.
Information on the abstract remains for different lengths of time depending on the province and type of violation.
Serious convictions affect insurance premiums and eligibility more than minor ones. There are often savings for drivers who maintain a clean record.
A driver’s abstract is a record of a person’s driving history over a period. It includes some basic information about the driver and their driver’s licence, plus any traffic law offences incurred over the reported period.
In Canada, the designated licensing authority in each province issues driver’s abstracts. Although the term “abstract” is common, some authorities use different terminology and may call it a driver’s record or a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) — these are all essentially the same type of document.
A driver’s abstract is required for many activities that involve driving. You’ll need it to apply to become a driver for ride-sharing services or most jobs that require a lot of driving. You may also need an abstract when you apply for car insurance or for a new driver’s licence in another province.
Insurance companies often retrieve driver’s abstracts when issuing new policies, though they require permission from the drivers to do so. The abstract is one of the many documents insurers review to determine an individual’s eligibility for insurance and the premium they will pay.
In Canada, a driver’s abstract may be certified or uncertified:
Prices for either version vary by province. For example, in Ontario, the uncertified version costs $12, and the certified version costs $18. Across other provinces, prices range from $10 (Manitoba) to $23 (Alberta.)1
The information on a driver’s abstract varies by province. But, some details are common.
Every abstract will have the driver’s name and date of birth — the basic identification details. Some abstracts may also disclose your current address and certain characteristics like sex, height, and weight.
In Canada, driving histories are attached to a person’s driver’s licence. As such, most abstracts will contain licence-related information, such as:
Most importantly, driver’s abstracts include records of traffic citations, driving convictions, and other vehicle-related offences in your driving history, dating as far back as the abstract allows. This typically spans the last 3 to 10 years but can extend further.
Some abstracts also include demerit points accumulated on the licence. Demerit points are added whenever someone is convicted of a traffic offence. Each offence carries a different point value. Demerits can stay on your record for two to five years, depending on the province. Incurring too many demerit points can put your licence at risk of being suspended.
Collisions may also appear on the driver’s abstract, but not in every province. They’re included in British Columbia but not in Ontario, for example.
Many people confuse “driver’s abstract” with “driving history.” The terms are often used interchangeably, so it’s no surprise they get mixed up constantly.
Your driving history is a complete record of vehicle-related convictions, car accidents, and licence changes. It follows you throughout your life as a driver in Canada, which can span decades.
Your driver’s abstract is only a snapshot of your driving history. It includes driving-related incidents, too, but usually over a shorter timeframe, and usually only incidents that involved a conviction (though this varies by province). A speeding ticket you received five years ago won’t appear on a three-year abstract. It will appear in your driving history, though.
Every province is responsible for maintaining its driving history databases. Only certain organizations can access these databases — like the police, judicial bodies, and government agencies. In a few provinces (like Ontario), you may be able to request a copy of your entire driving history.
Insurance companies can also access these databases. They pull these records when reviewing a car insurance application. Often, a person’s driver’s abstract (or MVR) provides sufficient history.
You can also order a driver’s abstract yourself if needed — you’ll just have to pay any associated fees.
There’s one more important thing to note:
In Canada, insurance companies don’t usually acknowledge foreign driving histories for pricing and underwriting purposes. Most will honour driving experience from Canada and the US, but not overseas. If you’re a newcomer to Canada, ask your insurer whether or not they’ll count your foreign history. If they do, you may need to get an approved driver’s abstract (or equivalent document) from whichever agency handles driver’s licences in that territory.
Driver’s abstracts are not the same in every province. Some use a standardized format for all driver abstracts issued in the province (like BC). Others have different document formats, each covering a different period of your driving history.
A driver’s abstract typically reports history for 3, 5, or 10 years. You may be able to order one dating back further, but this is only an option in a few provinces. Insurers in Canada are typically interested in the 3- or 5-year abstract.
In some abstracts, various information will appear at different lengths of time.
In Manitoba, for example, Criminal Code Convictions last 10 years from the date of occurrence, while a licence suspension would show for five years from the end date of suspension.2 Meanwhile, in Prince Edward Island (PEI), driver abstracts contain a five-year history of Criminal Code convictions and a three-year history of suspensions.3
To learn more about how driver’s abstracts are handled in your province, refer to the links at the end of this article.
Insurance companies consider many factors when determining car insurance premiums. The driver’s abstract is one particularly important factor.
Your driver’s abstract represents your driving behaviour on the road. An abstract of traffic tickets or convictions isn’t desirable to insurance underwriters, as it signifies a high-risk driver. Some insurers may accept the risk, but that would come with higher premiums. Insurers with lower risk tolerance might not offer insurance at all.
Safe driving can pay off big time in car insurance. Many insurers offer savings ranging between 5% and 25% for drivers with safe driving histories. With a relatively clean driver’s abstract (few to no traffic tickets or convictions), you would pay much less for insurance than someone with a history of breaking traffic laws.
When calculating your rates, insurers usually only consider moving violations. Moving violations include speeding, impaired driving, and failing to obey traffic rules. They are offences that occur when a driver is actively operating a vehicle. The more moving violations you rack up, the higher your insurance cost will be.Multiple violations on your record can even make you ineligible for insurance with some providers.
Driver’s abstracts typically exclude citations for non-moving violations – such as parking tickets – and criminal convictions that aren’t driving-related. Offences of such nature generally won’t impact your premiums, at least.4 Still, verify with your insurer if you’re in doubt.
The severity of the offence will also determine how long that violation stays on your driver’s abstract. In Ontario, for example, speeding tickets, distracted driving, and other moving violations remain on the abstract for three years.5 Impaired driving charges, meanwhile, can stay for three years for a first-time conviction and up to 10 years for numerous convictions. Major and criminal convictions will typically impact your rates and eligibility more than minor ones.
In Canada, you can order a driver’s abstract online, in person, or by mail from your provincial licensing authority. You can find steps for obtaining your abstract on these specific pages:
Sources
Looking for another insurance definition? Look it up in The Insurance Glossary, home to dozens of easy-to-follow definitions for the most common insurance terms. Or, get an online quote in under 5 minutes and find out how affordable personalized home insurance can be.
About the expert: Daniel Mirkovic
A co-founder of Square One with 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Daniel was previously vice president of the insurance and travel divisions at the British Columbia Automobile Association. Daniel has a bachelor of commerce and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He holds a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designation and a general insurance license level 3 in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
About the expert: Sunny Dhiman
Sunny has been with Square One since 2017, and presently holds the title of Call Centre Manager. Sunny is responsible for training and coaching new and exisiting employees. He also advises on complex underwriting, quote, or policy related matters. Sunny has a level 2 general insurance licence in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. He has an OTL licence in Ontario and an AMF licence in Quebec. Sunny is also working on CAIB and CIP designations.
Check out these related articles:
Get a personalized online home insurance quote in just 5 minutes and see how much money you can save by switching to Square One.
Even when you take precautions, accidents can happen. Home insurance is one way to protect your family against financial losses from accidents. And, home insurance can start from as little as $15/month.