Amendments to Driving Training School Regulations

Manitoba Regulation 5/2025, which amends the Driver Training Schools, Driving Instructors, and Training Vehicles Regulation (Manitoba Regulation 46/2006), introduces various updates to the existing framework governing driver training in the province. The regulation, under the authority of The Drivers and Vehicles Act, addresses key provisions to improve clarity and introduce new requirements for driving schools, instructors, and training vehicles. The amendments touch on several sections, altering certain conditions for driving instructors and the operation of driving schools.
Section 3 has been amended to modify the language regarding the suspension of driving instructor permits, changing the phrasing from “has not been suspended” to “has not in the three years immediately preceding the application been suspended” in the English version. This change ensures a more specific time frame for determining eligibility for a driving instructor permit. Section 5 has also been revised, removing the stipulation that an individual must never have held a driving instructor’s permit in another jurisdiction, thereby broadening the eligibility criteria for instructors with experience outside Manitoba.
Further amendments were made to Section 6, including the addition of a provision requiring that driving instructors may not provide practical instruction to individuals unless the learner holds a valid driver’s license. This stipulation is designed to ensure that instructors only teach individuals who are legally authorized to operate the vehicle type being used for instruction. Additionally, Section 7 has been modified to introduce new insurance requirements. Specifically, operators of driving schools are now required to maintain a minimum of $5,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance if they maintain physical premises for instruction or are classified as a class 1 driving school. The section also establishes that driving schools must provide financial security, if required, to cover potential liabilities.
Significant changes have also been made to establish clearer financial accountability for class 1 driving schools, which provide mandatory entry-level training for vehicles such as large trucks. A new section, Part 5.1, introduces administrative penalties for violations, with penalty amounts outlined in a schedule to the regulation. Additionally, Part 5.2 establishes rules around refunds and financial security. Class 1 driving schools must refund instruction fees to eligible students if the school ceases to provide the course, with clear time frames and conditions under which refunds must be processed.
Class 1 schools are also required to provide financial security in the form of a bond or letter of credit to the registrar to ensure that instruction fees are properly managed. The amount of financial security is determined based on the expected or actual collection of instruction fees from eligible students.
These amendments aim to improve the regulatory framework for driver training in Manitoba, ensuring that driving schools and instructors adhere to higher standards of accountability, financial transparency, and student protection.
Manitoba (5/2025) January 31, 2025