Quebec Learner's Licence as Photo ID: Plastic Card Yes, Paper Temporary No (2026)

Your Quebec Class 5 Learner's Licence (permis d'apprenti conducteur) is a valid government-issued photo ID. The official plastic card is accepted across Quebec for proving identity, age, and residence. The temporary paper version is not valid ID.

Quebec Learner's Licence: Is the Plastic Card Valid Photo ID - and Is the Paper Version?

The key difference is the plastic photo card you receive by mail. The paper interim licence is only a driving authorization.

• ✓ Plastic Learner's Licence: This is a valid piece of government ID. It has your photo, signature, and security features. Use it for age verification, banking, and other services.
• Paper Temporary Licence: This is not valid identification. It lacks a photo and security elements. Businesses and government offices will reject it as ID.

Where Your Plastic Learner's Permit is Accepted as ID

Your plastic learner's permit is an acceptable form of ID in these common situations.

• ✓ Domestic Air Travel (CATSA): Yes. The plastic card is accepted for boarding flights within Canada. For example, you can use it at Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) or Quebec City Jean Lesage (YQB). If you only have the paper version, you must present two other pieces of identification.
• Opening a Bank Account: Yes. Major banks in Quebec, like Desjardins, RBC, and BMO, accept the plastic learner's permit as primary photo ID to open an account. You must also provide proof of address, like a utility bill.
• ✓ Age-Restricted Purchases (Liquor, Cannabis): Yes. The Societe des alcools du Quebec (SAQ) and Societe quebecoise du cannabis (SQDC) must legally accept the plastic learner's permit as valid government photo ID for age verification.

Can You Use an Expired Quebec Learner's Licence as Photo ID?

Do not assume an expired learner's licence will be accepted. Identification rules are set by the organization asking for ID, and many services require a valid, unexpired document. Check that organization's ID list before relying on an expired card.

Does a Quebec learner's licence count as proof of address? It can show an address, but that does not mean every organization accepts it as formal proof of residence. Use a document specifically listed by the organization when proof of address is required.

Where Your Learner's Permit is NOT Accepted as ID

There are important limits to where this permit can be used for identification.

Full Quebec permit rules are at the Quebec learner's permit guide.

• International Travel (USA & Abroad): No. Your learner's licence is not valid for flights to the United States or other countries. You need a Canadian passport. Quebec licences are not Real ID compliant.
• Border Crossings: No. The Enhanced Driver's Licence program ended in 2019. You cannot use any Quebec driver's licence, including a learner's permit, to cross into the U.S. by land, air, or sea without a passport.

Can a Quebec learner's licence be used as ID for a passport application? A valid provincial driver's licence can be used as supporting identity for a new Canadian passport if it meets the Passport Program's ID requirements, including the required personal information. If one document does not contain everything required, you can use more than one accepted ID.

What If a Store or Venue Refuses Your Quebec Learner's Licence as ID?

What if a bouncer at a Montreal bar or a clerk at a depanneur refuses your plastic learner's permit?

• ✓ If they reject the official plastic photo card, that rejection is likely not legal for age verification. The permit is valid government ID. You can ask for a manager or cite the Regie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) regulations.
• If they reject the paper temporary licence, that rejection is correct and legal. It is not valid photo ID.
• ✓ Example: A bouncer on Crescent Street in Montreal may wrongly reject a plastic learner's permit from a 19-year-old, claiming it's 'not a real license.' Politely insist it's valid SAAQ-issued photo ID. If refused, you can file a complaint with the RACJ.

What Documents Does SAAQ Require to Issue a Quebec Class 5 Learner's Permit?

The SAAQ requires original identity and supporting documents before issuing the licence. For the full accepted-document combinations, residency proof, parental forms, and rejection rules, see the Quebec learner's licence document guide.

What Restrictions and Zero-Tolerance Rules Apply Once You Hold a Quebec Learner's Permit?

Your learner's licence remains subject to Quebec's supervision, curfew, alcohol, and demerit-point rules. For the full driving-rule details, see the Quebec permit driving rules guide.