How to Change Your Ontario Driver's Licence and Vehicle Permit Address After Moving

How soon must you update your address after moving?

You have 6 days after changing your address to update your Ontario driver's licence and vehicle permit records. This requirement applies to both documents when you hold an Ontario driver's licence and have a vehicle registered in Ontario.

The responsible provincial authorities are ServiceOntario and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The simplest route for many residents is the official ServiceOntario online address change service.

You can also visit a ServiceOntario centre. The address change itself is free, but updating the electronic vehicle registration record does not automatically provide a replacement physical vehicle permit.

Which documents must be updated?

Ontario maintains separate records for your driver's licence and vehicle registration. Both must show current address information after a move.

The vehicle permit is the provincial registration document associated with your vehicle. If your permit is registered to your driver's licence, the integrated online process can update the address in both records.

For the official deadlines and document delivery rules, consult Ontario's address change instructions.

How to change your address online

ServiceOntario offers an integrated online service for updating several Ontario documents, including a driver's licence, vehicle permit, health card, Ontario Photo Card and accessible parking permit.

Step 1: Prepare your information

Gather your current driver's licence or vehicle permit, your driver's licence number or registrant identification number, and your complete new Ontario address.

The service may also request your driver's licence issue date and Ontario health card information. The available identity verification route depends on the current online process and your documents.

Step 2: Choose the documents to update

Open the ServiceOntario document selection page.

Select the driver's licence and vehicle permit option. The service also explains whether your health card address must be updated during the same transaction.

Step 3: Enter your new address

Provide your new residential address, including the apartment or unit number if applicable. If your mailing address differs from your residential address, follow the portal's instructions for entering both.

Check the postal code carefully. If the address cannot be found in the online address database, the service may direct you to a ServiceOntario centre.

Step 4: Submit the change

Review the details and complete the online process. ServiceOntario describes the integrated address change transaction as taking approximately 6 to 10 minutes.

Keep any electronic confirmation or reference details supplied. There is no standard fee for changing the address on your driver's licence or vehicle registration record.

Can you change your address in person?

Yes. Visit a ServiceOntario centre if you prefer in-person assistance or cannot complete the online verification process.

Bring your current driver's licence, existing vehicle permit if applicable, and complete new address information. The centre can advise whether additional documentation is needed for your particular record.

In-person service is especially relevant when:

• You cannot verify your identity through the available online method.
• Your new address cannot be located by the online service.
• You need to exchange the physical vehicle permit.
• Your driving or registration record requires a correction beyond a routine address change.

The official Ontario address change guidance explains the available service channels.

Do you need an Ontario health card to change your address online?

ServiceOntario's integrated address change process uses Ontario health card information for identity verification in some application paths. The official service instructions also direct people who cannot use the available online identification method to a ServiceOntario centre.

Before starting, check the current instructions displayed by the online address change service. Do not assume that having a driver's licence alone guarantees access to every online verification option.

If you have an Ontario health card, you may also need to update its address record. Ontario requires a health card address change within 30 days, which is a different deadline from the 6-day driver's licence and vehicle permit requirement.

When will your updated driver's licence arrive?

ServiceOntario normally mails a replacement driver's licence showing your new address within 4 to 6 weeks.

The integrated service notes an exception when your licence is due for renewal within 90 days of the address change. If your licence is close to expiry, check the renewal instructions instead of assuming that a replacement card will be issued through the ordinary address change process.

Changing your address does not extend the expiry date of your driver's licence.

If you receive a replacement card, the previous licence is no longer the current card. Dispose of the old document appropriately.

How do you get a vehicle permit showing your new address?

Your updated physical vehicle permit is not mailed. Even after the address has been changed electronically, you must visit a ServiceOntario centre to exchange the original permit for a new one.

1. Complete the address update online or in person.
2. Take your existing original vehicle permit to a ServiceOntario centre.
3. Request a permit reflecting the updated address.
4. Exchange the existing permit for the replacement.

There is no standard charge when you present the original permit. A replacement fee may apply if you do not have the existing document.

Review Ontario's vehicle permit change instructions for the applicable requirements.

How much does it cost to change your address?

Ontario does not charge a standard fee for updating the address on a driver's licence or vehicle permit.

• Driver's licence address change: free.
• Vehicle registration address update: free.
• Physical vehicle permit exchange with the existing permit: free.
• Vehicle permit replacement without the existing original: a replacement fee may apply.

The published 4-to-6-week period is a delivery estimate for the replacement driver's licence, not a statutory deadline for processing an address change.

The vehicle permit has no mailing period because the updated physical document must be collected in person.

What if you are moving between provinces?

Moving into Ontario

If you have moved to Ontario but still hold a driver's licence issued by another province or territory, you may need to exchange that licence rather than use the Ontario driver's licence address change service.

Vehicle registration may also need to be transferred to Ontario. Follow the province's registration requirements for your vehicle and circumstances.

Moving out of Ontario

If you leave Ontario permanently, check the driver's licensing and vehicle registration rules in your new province or territory.

Ontario advises residents moving out of the province to consider returning or exchanging their driver's licence and checking whether a refund for the remaining licence period is available.

Do not treat an Ontario address change as a substitute for obtaining the documents required by your new jurisdiction.

Does ServiceOntario update your other records automatically?

No. Updating your driver's licence and vehicle permit does not mean that every government agency or private organization receives your new address.

Check whether you also need to notify:

• Your vehicle insurance company.
• The Canada Revenue Agency.
• Your bank and other financial institutions.
• Your employer.
• Any Provincial Offences Court handling an outstanding matter.

ServiceOntario address changes do not update Provincial Offences Court records. If you have an outstanding provincial offence matter, contact the appropriate court directly so that notices, court dates and payment information can reach you.

If you also hold an accessible parking permit, the integrated ServiceOntario service supports address changes for that permit. Related permit information is available in the Ontario accessible parking permit guide.

What if you entered the wrong address or lost a document?

If you notice an error in the address you submitted, contact ServiceOntario or use an available address change channel to correct the record.

If your new driver's licence does not arrive within the published delivery period, contact ServiceOntario to check the status and confirm the mailing address.

If your original vehicle permit is missing, ask ServiceOntario about the replacement process. The ordinary free permit exchange may not apply without the original document.

If your driver's licence itself has been lost, stolen or damaged, the appropriate process is different from a routine address change. See how to replace an Ontario driver's licence.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for renewal: the address change is required within 6 days, regardless of the licence expiry date.
• Updating only one record: check that your driver's licence and applicable vehicle permits are both updated.
• Expecting the vehicle permit by mail: the physical permit must be exchanged in person.
• Forgetting the original vehicle permit: a replacement fee may apply without it.
• Entering an incomplete address: include your unit number and correct postal code.
• Assuming all agencies are notified: vehicle insurance, CRA and court records may require separate updates.
• Confusing the deadlines: Ontario uses a 6-day requirement for driver's licence and vehicle permit addresses and a 30-day requirement for health card addresses.

For most eligible residents, the practical sequence is to update both driving records through ServiceOntario, retain the submission confirmation, and then exchange the existing vehicle permit at a ServiceOntario centre.