Improvement to the DND 404 Driver’s Licence

May 21, 2021 - Defence Stories

The Government of Canada and the Department of National Defence (DND) are committed to making our institutions more inclusive. This is also a priority for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as it seeks to recruit, develop and support an agile and diverse Defence Team within a healthy workplace that is free from harmful behaviour. The latest action towards this end is the elimination of the sex designation on the DND 404, the military’s driver’s licence.

Starting June 1, 2021, all new DND 404s will be issued without sex identification on them. Current versions will remain valid until their expiry date. Anyone who wishes to exchange their current version before its expiry date for a new version without a sex identification can do so by requesting this to their local Road and Vehicle Safety Section (RVSS). Their RVSS will process a regular DND renewal request and this new DND 404 will be issued.

This change to the DND 404 will not affect the card as a valid piece of federal government identification, since it is not used as a primary identity document. Nor will it affect the licence’s status under the Canadian Driver Licence Agreement, which means it will continue to be recognized by provincial and territorial jurisdictions, and by law enforcement officers across Canada. There will be no impact on provincial or territorial driver’s licence qualification exchange programs, or on the recognition of CAF driver qualifications abroad.

The provincial and territorial driver’s licence qualification exchange program allows recently retired or currently serving military members to transfer their DND 404-related qualifications onto their civilian provincial/territorial licence without additional training or testing. In general, most, if not all, military driving qualifications that have an equivalent class for a civilian driver licence are granted by the jurisdiction. However, each province and territory has its own process, so interested members should check the specific requirements (You are now leaving the Government of Canada website) of the province or territory in which they reside.

All CAF members have the right to feel welcome and included for who they are and what they can contribute to our operational effectiveness. This change to the DND 404 is a simple but important step in our ongoing efforts to make the CAF a leader in diversity and inclusion.