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Order your driver abstract →An Ontario extended driver record is designed for situations where a standard three-year driving record does not provide enough historical information. It is a separate Ministry of Transportation record with a broader time range, so it should not be confused with the common Ontario driver abstract.
If an employer, lawyer, court, government agency or another organization asks for a longer driving history, confirming the exact record name before ordering can prevent delays and unnecessary costs.
What does an Ontario extended driver record include?
According to current Ontario guidance, an extended driver record includes driver identification details, the driver’s demerit point total, and convictions, suspensions and reinstatements under the Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code of Canada for as far back as the information is available.
Driver identification details can include the name appearing on the licence, driver’s licence number, date of birth, licence class, expiry date, current status, earliest licence date available, and applicable conditions or endorsements.
How is an extended record different from a 3-year driver abstract?
The common three-year record focuses on a much shorter reporting period. Ontario describes it as including driver identification details, the demerit point total, active fine suspensions, and specified convictions, suspensions and reinstatements from the previous three years.
An extended record goes further by providing qualifying conviction and suspension history for as far back as Ontario has it available.
If you were specifically asked for the common abstract rather than a longer-term record, you can review the Ontario Driver Abstract service available through GetMyAbstract.ca.
Does an extended driver record include driver education courses?
No. Ontario states that the extended driver record does not include driver education courses. If beginner driver education information is what you need, a different record—such as a driver’s licence history—may be relevant.
Our guide to Ontario driver’s licence history explains what that document contains and what it leaves out.
Is an extended driver record the same as a complete driver record?
No. Although both provide longer-term information, Ontario’s complete driver record includes additional categories such as collisions, residential addresses recorded on the file, and licence replacements, renewals, class changes and other changes. The extended record is more focused on driver identification, demerit points, convictions, suspensions and reinstatements.
Can you order an extended driver record online?
Ontario’s current longer-term record guidance lists the extended driver record as available in person or by mail rather than through the online ordering option offered for the five-year record. Delivery and processing requirements can change, so check Ontario’s current instructions before ordering.
Certified or uncertified?
Ontario says uncertified longer-term records meet most people’s needs. A certified record includes the Ministry seal and is typically associated with legal requirements. The organization requesting your record should tell you if certification is required.
Which record should you order?
Do not choose an extended record simply because it contains more information. If a prospective employer asks for a “driver abstract,” for example, it may be looking for the common three-year record rather than an extended record. Ask for the exact record name and whether a certified copy is required.
For a broader comparison, see our guide to complete vs. extended Ontario driver records.
Extended vs. complete: what the complete record adds
Both records go back as far as information is available for convictions, suspensions and reinstatements. The complete driver record adds all collisions, the residential addresses on record, and licence replacements, renewals, class changes and other licence changes. Neither includes driver education courses.
To choose between them, ask the requesting organization two questions: how far back the record must go, and whether it needs collision or address history. If it only needs longer conviction history, the extended record answers that. Our complete driver record guide covers the broader record in detail.
Key takeaway
An Ontario extended driver record is useful when qualifying conviction, suspension and reinstatement history beyond the common three-year window is required. It is not simply another name for a standard driver abstract, and it does not contain every category of information found in a complete record.
GetMyAbstract.ca is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Transportation. This article provides general information only. Confirm current record contents, fees, ordering methods and requester requirements with official Ontario sources before ordering.