Ontario Class G RV Exemption

If you just renewed your Ontario drivers licence and looked for any information about towing a fifth wheel recreational vehicle on it, you may have noticed something is missing and you’re not alone. I have been getting many people emailing me about the Class G RV exemption lately and how it applies to them out of the province.

First off, what is the exemption I am speaking of again?In 2011 Ontario allowed persons who towed fifth wheel style recreational vehicles over 4600 kg to tow them behind their pick up trucks using a Class G licence thereby removing the need to get a Class A restricted or full Class A licence. The legal mumbo jumbo is a bit long, as it does specify what a pick up truck is, what a fifth wheel rv is etc but you can read about and print a copy by clicking on this link. The web page has been moved/removed by the MTO so this is a copy of the original page. RV FAQ MTO Website

Many have expressed their concerns over the fact that no where on our Ontario licence, new or old, does it show any exemption, so they were wondering what to do in the event they are stopped by law enforcement outside of Ontario. The sad fact is you won’t see it on our licences now or any time soon. The licence just is not designed to put all those little details on it.

So what can you do? Really you have to rely on the fact that law enforcement do get memos and Ontario is not alone in having this type of exemption, in fact 41 other states and provinces do to. You can keep a copy of the Ontario information in your glove box and offer it to enforcement (if questioned) who are under no obligation to accept it as gospel truth meaning you may still get a ticket which unfortunately will have to be dealt with.

If you do happen to get a ticket, you should contact the jurisdiction and explain the situation who most likely will rip up the ticket. Worse case is fighting it and winning. A big waste of time and money, I know, but it’s just the way it is at the moment.

I know it’s not the perfect answer you hoped for but it is just the reality of the situation when dealing with so many people across so many boundaries. We still hear the odd story about tickets being issued for something that has been out of date for decades or an ill-informed officer not realizing things are not always the norm.

My best suggestion is, don’t worry too much about it. Yes you are completely legal to drive your truck and trailer across North America as long as you comply with the law here in Ontario. Besides you only ever really need your licence when your pulled over for doing something you were not really supposed to do like speeding. By following the rules of the road you have reduced the risks of being asked, questioned or ticketed to just about zero. So sit back and enjoy.