Northwest Territories Class 7 Numbers Cheat Sheet: Where the Manual and the Act Disagree
Facts verified: November 7, 2026
Each figure below was checked against the Basic Driver's Manual published by the Department of Infrastructure, the Motor Vehicles Act (RSNWT 1988, c M-16), the Driver's Licence Demerit Point Regulations, the Seat Belt Assembly and Child Restraint System Regulations, the ticket schedule in the Summary Conviction Procedures Regulations, and the GNWT Infrastructure and idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca pages. No driving school, forum or prep site was used.
The Northwest Territories Class 7 exam is written from the manual, but the law is what binds you on the road. On four numbers the two disagree, and our own question bank had followed the manual each time.
Low beam when following. The manual and our bank said 150 m. Section 128(2)(b) of the Act says 60 m. The sheet shows 60 m and explains the manual figure.
When night starts. The manual defines night as one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. Section 128(1.1) requires headlights from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. The sheet shows the Act's half hour.
Collision reporting. Our bank said "more than $2,000". The Act (s. 261(b)) says damage that appears to be $2,000 or more.
Child restraint. The manual ties the child seat to an age (under 6) and a weight. The regulation sets a weight, under 18 kg, and no age.
Two more notes. The six-point suspension for a learner or probationary driver is one month in the regulation (s. 5.1) and "30 days" on an idmv web page. We show one month, then 3 months at 12 points and 6 months at 15. For distracted driving, the $322 fine and the $644 school and construction zone fine come from the ticket schedule, and the repeat suspensions of 24 hours, 7 days and 30 days come from s. 116.81(10).
What is missing. One row is left out on purpose: the manual says driving while suspended carries a fine of at least $345, but the ticket schedule shows $402 and the Act sets no $345 minimum, so no figure is published. Thirteen of the 55 rows rest on a single official source, usually the manual alone, and each is marked that way. School and playground zones at 30 km/h are in that group.
Northwest Territories Class 7 Learner's Licence (Stage 1 of the Graduated Driver Licensing program) · Numbers reference
Every number the Northwest Territories Class 7 Learner's Licence (Stage 1 of the Graduated Driver Licensing program) knowledge test can ask you for, in one place, checked against the official sources and built to print.
Showing all 55 numbers
Speed limits and defaults
5 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 50 km/h | Default speed limit within a municipality or unincorporated community when no sign sets a limitA posted sign always wins. The manual words it as a highway within a settlement or municipality. |
| 90 km/h | Default speed limit outside a municipality or unincorporated community when no sign sets a limitThe manual says primary highway outside a settlement or municipality. The Act applies 90 km/h to any highway outside a municipality or unincorporated community when no sign sets a limit. |
| 30 km/h | Speed limit in a school zone unless otherwise postedThe manual says school zone limits are in effect 24 hours a day, every day, unless times are posted. The Act defines the zone but sets no number. |
| 30 km/h | Speed limit in a playground zone unless otherwise postedUnless times are posted, the manual says it applies 24 hours a day, every day. |
| 40 km/h | Speed threshold for the orange slow moving vehicle signThe manual says these vehicles are designed for speeds under 40 km/h. The regulation requires the sign on a vehicle that cannot exceed 40 km/h. |
Distances
11 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 2 seconds | Minimum following distance in good conditionsNormal conditions only. Add seconds on wet or gravel roads and in other poor conditions. |
| 150 m | Closest you may follow an emergency vehicle with its siren or lights operatingThe manual applies 150 m to any emergency vehicle. The Act (s. 230) states 150 m for vehicles used to fight fires, and also bars parking within 150 m of a stopped fire-fighting vehicle. |
| At least 4 seconds | Following distance behind a log-haul truck |
| 300 m | Switch from high beam to low beam when an oncoming vehicle is this close |
| 60 m | Use low beam when following another vehicle this closelyThe Driver's Manual says 150 m. The Motor Vehicles Act, the binding text, says 60 m, so 60 m is shown. A knowledge test written from the manual may still expect 150 m.Our question bank and the official source disagree here. The official value is published. |
| 150 m | Headlights required when you cannot clearly see this far aheadThe Act (s. 128(1.1)) requires headlights in poor visibility but gives no distance. The 150 m figure is the manual's. |
| 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise | Headlights required at night: from this long after sunset to this long before sunriseThe Act says half an hour. The Driver's Manual defines nighttime as one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise, which is what the knowledge test question asks.Our question bank and the official source disagree here. The official value is published. |
| No closer than 5 m | Closest you may stop to the nearest rail at a railway crossing (stop sign, flashing lights or bell) |
| No farther than 15 m | Farthest you may stop from the nearest rail at a railway crossing with a stop sign |
| Within 3 m | Where to stop at a stop sign with no stop line or marked crosswalk: within this distance of the intersecting roadThe Act (s. 211) says to stop at the point nearest the intersection with a view of cross traffic and gives no number. |
| At least 15 m | Be in your proper turning lane at least this far before the intersectionDo not confuse it with the turn signal distance in the Act (s. 198): 30 m in a municipality, 150 m outside one. |
Parking prohibitions
5 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 3 m | Do not park within this distance of a fire hydrant |
| 6 m | Do not park within this distance of a marked crosswalk |
| 5 m | Do not park within this distance in front of a stop sign, yield sign or traffic light at the side of the road |
| 60 m | On a road outside an urban area, your parked vehicle must be visible from this far in both directions |
| 30 cm | Park within this distance of the curb or edge of the roadway |
Demerit points by offence
2 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 3 demerit points | Demerit points for using a restricted electronic device while drivingThe same 3 points apply in school and construction zones. |
| 5 demerit points | Demerit points for driving while prohibited, disqualified or under licence suspensionSchedule item 5 covers operating a motor vehicle while prohibited or disqualified or while the licence is suspended (s. 119). |
Demerit point thresholds and consequences
3 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 1 month suspension at 6 points | Suspension when a learner or probationary (GDL) driver reaches 6 demerit pointsThe manual adds that the driver stays in the current stage for one extra month. The GNWT demerit points web page calls the 6-point suspension 30 days, the regulation says one month. |
| 3 months suspension at 12 points | Suspension when a learner or probationary (GDL) driver reaches 12 demerit pointsThe manual adds three extra months in the current stage. |
| 6 months suspension at 15 points | Suspension when a learner or probationary (GDL) driver reaches 15 demerit pointsThe manual adds six extra months in the current stage. |
Suspension and prohibition lengths
9 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 90 days | Automatic administrative licence suspension for a breath or blood sample at 0.08 or over, or for refusing a demandNo conviction is needed. For a fully licensed driver the 90 days begin after a temporary permit ends (24 hours first). For a novice driver they begin immediately. |
| 7 days | Temporary driving permit before a 90-day administrative suspension begins (fully licensed driver)Not issued to learner or probationary drivers, or to drivers already suspended or disqualified. Under the Act it takes effect 24 hours after it is issued and expires on the seventh day after that. |
| 30 days | Automatic suspension for a novice (GDL) driver or a driver under 22 who has any alcohol in the blood |
| 24 hours, then 7 days, then 30 days | Licence suspensions for repeat distracted driving within two years (2nd, 3rd and 4th offences)Each step applies if you were suspended under the previous step in the two years before. |
| 30 days | Length of a vehicle seizure after a charge for driving while prohibited, disqualified or suspendedThe manual lists a 30-day seizure for driving while suspended, prohibited or disqualified. The Act (s. 302.1) is narrower: an officer may seize the vehicle after a charge under s. 119 or Criminal Code s. 320.18(1) for driving while prohibited or disqualified because of an impaired driving offence, and the seizure ends 30 days after it begins. |
| 1 year | Driving prohibition after a first Criminal Code impaired driving convictionThe Act sets one year for a first conviction. The manual says no driving for at least one year, which includes any longer court prohibition. |
| 3 years | Disqualification after a second impaired driving conviction within 10 yearsA third conviction within 10 years is 5 years. A conviction 10 or more years earlier is not counted. |
| Indefinite, at least 5 years | Minimum licence prohibition when an impaired driving offence causes a deathApplies even to a first offence. The Registrar sets the length. |
| At least 10 years | How long a Criminal Code impaired driving conviction stays on your criminal record |
Fines
2 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| $322 | Fine for using a restricted electronic device while driving (outside school and construction zones)Ticket amount: $280 plus a $42 surcharge. |
| $644 | Fine for using a restricted electronic device while driving in a school or construction zoneTicket amount: $560 plus an $84 surcharge. Double the usual fine. |
BAC and zero-tolerance thresholds
5 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 0.08% (80 mg per 100 mL of blood) | Blood alcohol level for a 90-day administrative suspension and Criminal Code chargesThe Act says equal to or exceeding 80 mg of alcohol in 100 mL of blood. |
| 0.05% (50 mg per 100 mL of blood) | Blood alcohol level at which a fully licensed driver aged 22 or older faces a suspensionThe result is an administrative suspension: 24 hours the first time, 30 days if you were suspended, disqualified or prohibited in the previous two years. The manual says a level exceeding 50 mg, the Act says equal to or exceeding 50 mg. |
| Zero (0.00%) | Blood alcohol allowed for learner and probationary (GDL) driversThe supervising driver must also have zero alcohol while supervising a learner. |
| Under 22 | Drivers below this age must not drive after consuming any alcohol (even with a full licence) |
| 30 mg per 100 mL of blood or higher | Alcohol ignition interlock: reading at which the vehicle will not startReadings from 20 to 29 mg start the vehicle but record a warn violation. |
Graduated licensing timeline
9 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 15 years | Minimum age for a Class 7 learner's licence |
| 1 year (12 months) | Minimum time holding the Class 7 learner's licenceTime under suspension does not count toward the 12 months. |
| 16 years | Minimum age for the probationary (Class 5P) licenceThe driver must also have finished the learner stage without a suspension. |
| 1 year (12 months) | Minimum time as a probationary (Class 5P) driver before the full licenceThe 12 months must be free of suspension, and the upgrade is not automatic: you apply in person at a driver and vehicle office. |
| At least 2 years | Minimum time to complete both graduated licensing stagesTwelve months as a learner plus twelve months as a probationary driver. |
| At least 24 months (2 years) | Experience a supervising driver needs with a full Class 5 licenceTime spent as a learner or probationary driver does not count. |
| 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. | Hours a learner may not driveA learner also may not carry any passenger other than the supervising driver. |
| 1 passenger in the front seat, and no more passengers than seat belts | Passenger limits for a probationary (Class 5P) driver |
| Age 17, with fewer than 6 demerit points | Minimum age and demerit points to become a fully licensed (Class 5) driver |
Occupant restraint thresholds
3 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| Under 15 | Driver is responsible for passengers under this age being properly restrainedPassengers over 15 must wear their own seat belt. |
| Under 18 kg | Weight below which a child must be in a child restraint systemThe manual says a child under 6 years who weighs 18 kg or less must be in a child safety seat, and a child over 18 kg uses the vehicle seat belt. A booster seat is strongly recommended, not required. The regulation sets no age.Our question bank and the official source disagree here. The official value is published. |
| About 9 to 18 kg | Approximate weight range for a forward-facing child safety seatA rear-facing seat is required for a child under 9 kg. |
Reporting thresholds
1 number| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| $2,000 or more | Total damage in a collision at or above which you must report to the policeThe manual also says to report damage to a traffic sign, signal, parking meter or other public property even when the total is under $2,000.Our question bank and the official source disagree here. The official value is published. |
Other provinces
Cheat sheets for the other graduated licensing streams.
- Alberta Class 7: every number on one page
- British Columbia Class 7L: every number on one page
- Manitoba Class 5L: every number on one page
- New Brunswick Class 7: every number on one page
- Newfoundland and Labrador Class 5: every number on one page
- Nova Scotia Class 7: every number on one page
- Nunavut Class 7: every number on one page
- Ontario G1: every number on one page
- Prince Edward Island Class 7: every number on one page
- Quebec Learner's Licence: every number on one page
- Saskatchewan Class 7: every number on one page
- Yukon Class 7: every number on one page
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