Class 1 Licence in Québec: 8 Requirements to Check First

Before you pay for truck training, make sure you're eligible. Since December 15, 2025, the Class 1 licence requires mandatory training. The SAAQ checks your eligibility at every step: before theory, at the knowledge test and at the road test. Miss a single requirement and your plans can be delayed by months.

Here are the 8 requirements to check, in the order you'll meet them. Keep your driver's licence handy: you'll need it for requirement #1.

1. Hold a Class 5 licence

The PESR – Class 1 is for people who already hold a Class 5 driver's licence (passenger vehicle). A probationary licence is accepted. Don't have your Class 5 yet? Start there. Our guide to the Class 5 licence steps walks you through the whole process.

Check: the class shown on your licence and its expiry date.

2. Have 24 months of Class 5 experience

You need at least 24 months of driving experience with a Class 5 licence. Good news: time spent on a probationary licence counts. In practice, someone who got their probationary licence two years ago meets this requirement.

Check: the date you got your probationary licence. Count 24 months from that date.

From somewhere else? If your licence comes from another province or country, ask the SAAQ how your experience is recognized before you enrol.

3. Have fewer than 4 demerit points

Your record must show fewer than 4 demerit points. One speeding ticket or a phone-at-the-wheel ticket can be enough to push you over.

Check: look at your driving record in your SAAQclic account. Points stay on your record for a set period. If you're close to the limit, drive carefully until your training is over.

4. No suspension or revocation in 2 years

You must have no licence suspension or revocation on your record in the last two years. This is one of the requirements that surprises people most. A suspension for unpaid fines or too many points counts too.

Check: the sanctions section of your record in SAAQclic.

5. Meet the medical and vision requirements

Driving a heavy vehicle takes good health and good eyesight. The SAAQ requires a medical examination report completed by a doctor or a specialized nurse practitioner. Write "Ajout de classe" (class addition) at the top of the form and send it back through SAAQclic or by mail. You'll also take a vision test at the knowledge test.

Tip: book early. Clinic wait times can be long, and you need the SAAQ's decision before you can move ahead.

6. Check your pre-eligibility in SAAQclic

The SAAQ lets you check your pre-eligibility for a Class 1 licence online, in SAAQclic. Do it before you pay for training. It's free, and it saves you from bad surprises.

Eligibility is re-checked at every step. A new offence during your training can change things.

7. Take the PESR with a recognized provider (or the DEP)

Since December 15, 2025, there are two routes to a Class 1 licence:

• the PESR – Class 1, offered by a SAAQ-recognized training provider;
• the DEP in Truck Transportation, from Québec's Ministry of Education.

The PESR takes at least 125 hours:

Phase	Minimum length	Content
Theory	75 h	6 competencies: the heavy-vehicle driving trade, heavy-vehicle features and components, laws and regulations, preparing to drive, air brakes, pre-trip inspection
Practice – safe zone	18 h	Basic manoeuvres (competency 7)
Practice – public roads	32 h	On-road driving (competency 8)

The practical phase includes 34 activities done with a tractor-trailer. Before each session, your instructor goes over the manoeuvres and the behaviour expected.

Check: that the school appears on the SAAQ's map of PESR – Class 1 providers.

At Qazi, group theory runs Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM. The 50 practice hours are scheduled separately, around your availability and your instructor's. See the Class 1 program.

8. Pass the knowledge test before practice

This is the order the program sets:

1. You finish the theory (75 h).
2. You take the SAAQ knowledge test and the vision test. Book in SAAQclic. You can book ahead, but you must have finished theory before you show up.
3. You receive your Class 1 learner's licence. It's required to start the practice.
4. You do the practice (50 h).
5. You take the road test: pre-trip inspection and heavy-vehicle driving.

On knowledge test day, bring your Class 5 licence (probationary or regular) and money for the fees. Want the F endorsement (air brakes)? Say so: you can take that test at the same appointment.

On road test day, bring your Class 5 licence, your Class 1 learner's licence, the original registration certificate and proof of insurance for the vehicle used, plus the fees for the test and the licence. If you fail, you can retake the test 7 days later. At Qazi, the vehicle is provided for the test.

Bonus: your checklist before you enrol

Tick every box:

• I hold a Class 5 licence (probationary or regular).
• I have at least 24 months of Class 5 experience.
• I have fewer than 4 demerit points.
• I've had no suspension or revocation in 2 years.
• I've booked my medical exam.
• I've checked my pre-eligibility in SAAQclic.
• The school I chose is a SAAQ-recognized provider.
• I know the theory schedule and the payment plan.

Unemployed? Before you enrol, talk to a Services Québec agent. Aid of $1,425 exists for some people referred to full-time training. Details in our article on the cost of a Class 1 licence.

Frequently asked questions

Is a probationary licence accepted for the PESR Class 1?

Yes. You need a probationary or regular Class 5 licence and 24 months of Class 5 experience, probationary period included.

How many demerit points can I have for Class 1?

Fewer than 4 demerit points on your record. Check your record in SAAQclic before you enrol.

Do I need a medical exam for Class 1?

Yes. A medical examination report completed by a doctor or a specialized nurse practitioner, plus a vision test at the SAAQ.

When do I get my Class 1 learner's licence?

After theory, once you pass the SAAQ knowledge test. You need it to start the practice.

Is the DEP mandatory?

No. The DEP in Truck Transportation is one of two routes. The other is the PESR – Class 1 with a recognized provider.

Do you tick every box?

Take advantage of the year-end promotion: $8,500, taxes included, in 4 instalments, until December 31, 2026. Not sure you're eligible? We'll check with you, free of charge.

Request a free callback · 514 274-6948

Sources: SAAQ (Class 1 truck; Mandatory Class 1 training; "Obtenir un permis de conduire de classe 1" checklist), eligibility requirements published by recognized providers, Québec.ca (financial aid). Checked October 20, 2026.