Prince Edward Island

Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal
33 Riverside Drive
P.O. Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
(902) 368-5200 |  www.gov.pe.ca

Royal Canadian Mounted Police
“L” Division
PO Box 1360
450 Ave University
Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7N1
(902) 566-7112 | www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pe/about-apropos/index-eng.htm

(see Vehicle Registration)

(see Vehicle Registration)

(see Vehicle Registration)

Unless the law grants an exemption, every motor vehicle in Prince Edward Island must be registered with the Department.

The application for a certificate of registration must be on a form prescribed by the Department. This form must contain the following information: (1) the name and mailing address of the vehicle owner; (2) the make of the vehicle, the vehicle’s serial number, any distinguishing marks on the vehicle, and whether it is new or used; and (3) any other information the Department requires.

When a vehicle is registered, the Department will issue the owner a permit, which contains the vehicles, registration number, the name and address of the owner, a description of the registered vehicle, and anything else the Department determines is necessary.

Any private passenger motor vehicle that is properly registered in another jurisdiction and owned by a non-resident who is enrolled in a Prince Edward college or university, does not have to be registered in Prince Edward.

A non-resident who resides in Prince Edward for more than 120 consecutive days in any year must register his or her vehicle with the Department.

A non-resident must have his or her vehicle registered within 10 days of becoming employed in Prince Edward.

Every registration permit and license plate issued expires at midnight on the birthday of the registered owner.

No province-wide emissions inspection requirements.

An annual safety inspection is required on all motor vehicles and trailers.

One reflectorized license plate will be disbursed for all vehicles. The license plates for motor vehicles must be attached to the front. A license plate for a truck must be attached to the rear of the truck.

The color scheme for license plates is green on white.

License plates are validated with stickers.

When a vehicle is transferred, the seller must detach and keep the license plate. The plate may be used on another vehicle registered in his or her name. When a person purchases a vehicle, he or she can attach any valid license plate issued to him or her and may operate the vehicle with this plate for a period of up to 7 days pending the registration of the transfer of ownership of the vehicle.

A written or oral exam, a driving test, and a vision test are required for an original license.

The road test is waived if the applicant has a license from another North American jurisdiction that has not been expired over 1 year; the vision test is required if the license has been expired for more than 1 year.

Written, vision, and driving tests are required if the applicant’s out-of-province license has been expired over 1 year.

Prince Edward Island has a form of graduated licensing for teen drivers. At 16, teens are eligible for a learner’s permit if enrolled in a driver education program.

A holder of a learner’s permit can only drive if he or she meets the following criteria: (1) must be accompanied by a licensed driver who has held a license for 4 years; (2) the licensed driver must sit in the passenger seat; and (3) only members of the immediate family of the licensed operator can be in the vehicle, or the permit holder can be accompanied by a licensed instructor and no more than 4 persons, not including the instructor.

A learner’s permit holder must hold the permit for 1 year, or 275 days if permit holder has completed a driver education program, before being eligible for a regular driver’s license.

At 16, teens are eligible for a regular license. However, a driver of a motor vehicle who has held a driver’s license for less than 1 year may only be accompanied by 3 passengers who are immediate family of the driver, or 2 from the immediate family of the driver and 1 other passenger.

The number of passengers allowed in the vehicle must not exceed the number of passengers that can be accommodated in seating positions that have seat belts.

When the driver of a motor vehicle has held a valid driver’s license for more than 1 year but less than 2 years, the driver may not transport more passengers than seat belts.

The minimum age for an unrestricted license is 17.

The application for a driver’s license must contain the name, address, and mailing address of the applicant, and any other information the Department requires to enable it to determine whether a driver’s license should be issued to the applicant and the class of the license that should be issued.

Licenses are valid for 3 years and expire on the licensee’s birthday. Regular driver’s license renewal must be done in person.

Driver’s license classes include:

Class 1 – any tractor-trailer or truck-trailer combination;

Class 2 – buses, taxis, and ambulances over 24 passengers;

Class 3 – straight truck over 4,600 kg, over 14,000 kg if trailer is less than 4,500 kg;

Class 4 – buses under 24 passengers;

Class 5 – passenger cars and light trucks, not exceeding 14,000 kg;

Class 6 – motorcycles;

Class 7 – learner’s permit;

Class 8 – mopeds;

Class 9 – farm tractor permit.

The use of handheld electronic devices and text messaging while driving is prohibited.

The emergency number is 911.

No prohibition on wearing of headsets while driving.

Drivers passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights must decrease speed to lesson more than half the posted speed limit, and must vacate the lane closet to the stopped vehicle, if safe to do so.

The driver and passengers of a motor vehicle must wear a seat belt.

The owner of a motor vehicle must make sure that all seat belts are in good working condition.

Children under 10 years and under 145 cm (4 feet 7 inches) are required to be in a child safety seat.

Children under 10 kg (22 lbs.) must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat. Children under 18 kg (40 lbs.) must ride in a forward-facing child safety seat. Children may ride in a booster seat if they are over 18 kg (40 lbs.), under 145 cm, and age 9 or less.

Although there are no railways in Prince Edward Island, drivers are cautioned when approaching a railway crossing where a signal device or flag person is warning of the approach of a train, to stop not less than five meters from the nearest rail.

The driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking a school bus on a highway when the flashing red lights are displayed must bring the vehicle to a stop at least 6 meters from the school bus, and must not pass the school bus until the flashing red lights are no longer displayed.

The driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking a school bus on a highway when the flashing amber lights are displayed on the school bus must reduce speed and proceed with caution, and may only pass the school bus with caution.

Modification of original bumper height is illegal.

Headlights are required to be used when visibility is 500 feet or less.

Hazard lights may not be used on a highway when a vehicle is moving.

Tire chains are permitted.

Studded tires are permitted Oct. 1  – May 31.

It is illegal to install transparent, opaque, or translucent material on a front or side window, unless the material is a replacement glazing installed by the manufacturer, or the material is a clear un-tinted frost shield.

It is illegal to install transparent, opaque, or translucent material on the rear windshield, unless the motor vehicle is equipped with outside rear view mirrors on the left and right of the motor vehicle, and the material is a replacement glazing installed by the manufacturer, or a clear un-tinted frost shield.

A person must not place or install any material on or in place of any window glazing that casts a glare on other vehicles on the highway because of sunlight or headlights.

A person must not drive on a highway a motor vehicle equipped with a television set, and a person must not drive a vehicle carrying a television set while the set is in operation.

Radar detectors are prohibited.

Windshield stickers are permissible as long as they do not impair the safe operation of the motor vehicle.

N/A.

Every motorcycle must be equipped with at least 1 and not more than 2 headlamps.

Every headlamp must be located at a height of not more than 1,400 mm nor less than 600 mm.

Every headlamp must be of sufficient intensity to reveal a person or a vehicle at a distance of not less than 30 meters when the motorcycle is driven less than 40 km/h, 60 meters when the motorcycle is operated at a speed of 40 km/h, and at a distance of not less than 90 meters when the motorcycle is operated at a speed of 60 km/h or more.

If a motorcycle is equipped with a single-beam headlamp or headlamps, the lamp or lamps must be aimed so that the high-intensity portion of the light does not project higher than the level of the center of the lamp at a distance of 10 meters.

The headlamps of a motorcycle must not be covered with any material to color or tint the lamp if this coloring or tint reduces the intensity of the light.

Every motorcycle must have rear red tail lamps that become illuminated when the driver applies pressure to the brakes.

Every motorcycle must be equipped with brakes on at least 2 wheels.

All motorcycle riders must wear helmets approved by the Canadian Department of Transportation.

Class 6 motorcycle license required.

There is no province-wide motorcycle noise limit law.

A permit holder can operate a moped with either a Class 8 license or a Class 6 license.

Registration is required.

Minimum age to ride a moped is 16 with parental consent.

The following safety equipment is required: helmet, head- and tail lamp, reflectors, and brakes.

Total length: 23 meters; trailer length: 14.6 meters; width: 2.6 meters; height: 4.5 meters.

Every trailer or semitrailer weighing 1,500 kg or more must be equipped with brakes that can control the movement of and stop and hold the towing vehicle, and the vehicles being towed.

The brakes must be designed and connected so that the brakes are automatically applied if 1 of the vehicles being towed breaks away.

Every trailer or semitrailer weighing 1,500 kg or more must be equipped with service brakes on all the wheels.

Any trailer or semitrailer weighing less than 1,500 kg is not required to be equipped with service brakes on the wheels.

A towing vehicle must be equipped with a mechanical connection that is capable of holding the vehicle, or combination of vehicles under any condition upon which it is operated.

Every motor vehicle and combination of motor-drawn vehicles must be capable of being stopped on a dry, smooth, level road free from loose material, within the distances specified: vehicles or a combination of vehicles having brakes on all wheels going 30 km/h must stop within 9.15 meters; and vehicles or a combination of vehicles not having brakes on all wheels must stop within 12.20 meters.

When 1 vehicle is towing another with a drabber, ball hitch, or other type of utility trailer hitch, the connection must be of sufficient strength to pull all the weight being towed. Also, the combination of vehicles must be connected with at least 2 safety chains of equal length, and each chain must be of sufficient strength to hold the vehicles together in case the connection between the vehicles breaks or is accidentally disconnected.

Every semitrailer or trailer must be equipped with at least 2 rear red tail-lamps, 1 on each side of the vehicle. These rear tail lamps must emit a light visible from a distance of 150 meters.

Every tail lamp and reflector must be located at a height between 500 mm and 1,520 mm.

Every vehicle must have a light on the rear of the vehicle that illuminates the license plate for 15 meters and rear red brake lights.

Every trailer or semitrailer that is 2 meters or more in overall length must meet the following requirements: on the front as high as possible, have 2 amber clearance lamps mounted at the same height; on the rear and as high as practicable, have 2 red clearance lamps mounted at the same height; on the front and each side at or near the midpoint, have an amber reflector, all reflectors being mounted not less than 375 mm or more than 1,500 mm when measured from the ground; and have 3 red indicator lamps in a horizontal row close to the top with the center lamp on center line and others mounted an equal distance from the center lamp, not less than 150 mm or more than 300 mm.

Every motor vehicle, other than a farm tractor, must be equipped with a mirror located and adjusted to give the driver an unobstructed rear view for at least 60 meters to the rear of the vehicle.

The operator of a towing vehicle which has an exterior accessory rearview mirror which extends beyond the length of a fixed standard mirror, or more than 10 inches beyond the body of the towing vehicle, must remove or fix the exterior accessory rearview mirror so that it is 250 mm or less beyond the body of the towing vehicle when the equipment being towed is disconnected.

80 km/h unless posted otherwise.

N/A.

N/A.

Crashes resulting in property damage greater than C$1,000 must be reported immediately.

Contact your local AAA club about AAA Guaranteed Arrest Bond validity in Canada.

All motor vehicle operators must have at least C$200,000, exclusive of interest and cost against liability resulting from bodily injury to, or the death of, or damage to property for 1 accident.

Compulsory 3rd party insurance for limits of C$200,000.

Judgment recover (PEI) Ltd. available for judgments up to C$200,000 for bodily injury or death of any person or for property damage. Such payment not required to non-residents unless they reside in a jurisdiction where recourse of substantial similar type is afforded to residents of Prince Edward Island. Proof of insurance is required. Penalty, for noncompliance: minimum C$600; maximum C$2,000.

Agricultural vehicles and trucks over 3,000 kg GVW must stop.

All riders must wear bicycle helmets.

U.S. citizens returning to the U.S. from Canada by land or sea are required to present proper travel documents according to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Proof of citizenship is required for travel to Canada by land or sea. A U.S. passport is required for travel by air to Canada and to the U.S. Permanent U.S. residents who are not citizens should carry their Alien Registration Receipt Card.

All children must have their own travel documents. In lieu of a U.S. passport or passport card, U.S. children under 16 traveling to and from Canada by land or sea may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Naturalization Certificate. If the parents are separated or divorced, the parent crossing the border should have proof of custody or a letter from the other parent. Persons under 18 years of age who are not accompanied by a parent should bring a letter from their parent or guardian giving them permission to cross the border.

A visitor is permitted to bring a reasonable amount of personal effects, a reasonable supply of food, and a full tank of gas. “Reasonable” means enough for personal use during the length of stay in Canada. Any unreasonable amounts are subject to duty.

A visitor must have a rabies vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian to bring dogs or cats into Canada.

Open containers are not permitted in Prince Edward Island.

Illegal per se BAC is .08. For minors, presumptive level is zero tolerance.

The legal drinking age is 19.