As a parent, choosing a driving school is not a cute milestone.

You’re assigning someone to build the judgement your teen will borrow for years.

A parent too.

• 14 and up: learner (Class 7). Needs a parent or guardian's consent under 18. Always drives with a fully licensed driver, 18 or older, in the front passenger seat. No driving between midnight and 5 a.m. Zero alcohol, zero drugs.
• At least 12 months later, and 16 or older: the road test. Pass the Class 5 road test and the probationary licence (Class 5-GDL) begins.
• At least 2 years on probation. Still zero alcohol and drugs. Can't supervise a learner. The licence is suspended at 8 demerit points (fully licensed drivers get to 15).
• The finish line. After 24 months, with no suspensions or demerits in the last 12, they're out of GDL. No advanced road test since April 2023.

1. Is the school on Alberta's licensed list? Every driver training school in Alberta must be licensed by the province, and the list is public.
2. Is every instructor licensed? In Alberta, anyone who teaches driving needs a licence, even if they don't charge.
3. Can I see the rates, hours and refund policy in writing? A licensed school has to give you this when you ask.
4. Will this course shorten probation? Only a course from a licensed school counts toward the up-to-6-months reduction. The provincial course minimum is 15 hours in class and 10 in the car.
5. How will I know how lessons are going? At Tuscany Driving School, parents get a copy of the in-car assessment after every lesson.

• Ask what they covered today, and practise that. Not everything at once.
• Start quiet, then build. Empty lots and calm streets first, then busier roads, night driving and the first snowfall.
• Be the calm one. If you're gripping the door handle, they can feel it.
• Know your own rules. To supervise, you must be 18 or older with a full Class 5 licence or higher (a GDL licence doesn't count), sitting in the front passenger seat.

AI helps with the pictures, but every word is human-written, human-checked and fussed over to a ridiculous degree.

• Government of Alberta: Steps to get a driver's licence
• Government of Alberta: Class 7 learner's licence
• Government of Alberta: Class 5 driver's licence
• Government of Alberta: Demerit points and suspensions
• Government of Alberta: Licensed driver training schools
• Government of Alberta: Class 5 driver training
• Government of Alberta: Become a licensed driving instructor
• Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation (AR 320/2002)
• Tuscany Driving School