Back on Track is Ontario's mandatory remedial program for drivers convicted of an impaired driving offence and for some drivers who receive roadside suspensions. It has three stages: an assessment, an education or treatment program, and a follow-up. You must complete it before the province will reinstate your licence.
Many people facing a DUI charge in Toronto focus on the court case and the fine, and only learn about Back on Track later. This guide explains who needs the program, how each stage works, and how it fits with the other licence consequences of an impaired driving conviction.
What is the Back on Track program?
Back on Track is a remedial program run under Ontario's Ministry of Transportation framework. Its purpose is to address the alcohol or drug use connected to impaired driving and to reduce the chance of it happening again.
It is not part of your criminal sentence. The judge does not order it, and you cannot negotiate it away in a plea agreement. It is a provincial requirement that attaches to your licence, which means it follows automatically once you meet the conditions for it.
Who has to complete Back on Track?
You will generally need to complete the program if:
- You are convicted of an impaired driving offence under the Criminal Code. This includes charges such as impaired operation, over 80 and refusal to provide a sample.
- You receive certain roadside suspensions. Warn-range suspensions carry escalating program requirements for repeat occurrences within a five-year period.
The requirement applies on every conviction, starting with a first impaired driving offence. After a second offence, for example, Ontario requires Back on Track again, alongside a three-year provincial licence suspension.
How does Back on Track work, step by step?
Step 1: Assessment
The program begins with an assessment. It looks at your history and current use of alcohol or drugs, and the results decide which stream you will be placed in. Be honest and thorough. The assessment exists to match you with the right program, not to punish you.
Step 2: Education or treatment
Based on the assessment, the assessor places you in one of two streams:
- Education. A program focused on the effects of alcohol and drugs, the risks of impaired driving and strategies to avoid repeating it.
- Treatment. A more intensive program for people whose assessment shows a greater need for support.
Which stream you land in affects how long the process takes, so it is wise to start as soon as the province permits.
Step 3: Follow-up
After completing education or treatment, there is a follow-up stage to review your progress. Once all three stages are complete, the program records your completion so that it counts toward licence reinstatement.
Do you have to finish Back on Track before getting your licence back?
Yes. The province will not reinstate your licence until you complete Back on Track, even if your suspension period has already ended. Reinstatement also depends on serving the suspension and meeting any other requirements the province imposes. Our guide on how to get your licence back after a DUI puts every stage in order.
This catches people off guard. A driver who waits until the end of a suspension to think about the program can find that the program itself is now the only thing keeping them off the road. Asking about enrolment early can help avoid that delay.
Is Back on Track the same as the 90-day roadside suspension?
No. Police impose the 90-day Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension at the roadside or station for a reading over 80, a refusal, or a drug recognition evaluation finding impairment. It starts immediately and runs separately from the criminal case. Our explainer covers that suspension.
Back on Track is a remedial program tied mainly to a conviction, which usually comes months later. The two have separate triggers and separate rules, and meeting one does not satisfy the other.
How to prepare for Back on Track
A little organisation can make the program run more smoothly:
- Keep your paperwork together. Hold on to your court documents, your suspension notices and any letters from the province.
- Be candid in the assessment. Trying to minimise your drinking or drug use rarely helps, and an accurate assessment is what places you in the right stream.
- Attend every session and keep records. Missing sessions can delay completion, and keeping your own record of dates helps if a question comes up later.
- Plan around the timeline. Think about work, family and transportation while you complete the program, since you will not be able to drive until your licence is reinstated.
How Back on Track fits with the other licence consequences
An impaired driving conviction brings several licence consequences at once. They overlap, but each has its own rules.
| Consequence | Source | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Driving prohibition | Criminal Code, ordered by the court | 1 to 3 years for a first offence; 2 to 10 years for a second |
| Licence suspension | Ontario, on conviction | 1 year for a first conviction, 3 years for a second, lifetime for a third |
| Back on Track | Ontario remedial program | Must be completed before reinstatement |
| Ignition interlock | Ontario licence condition | Applies after reinstatement, for at least one year after a first conviction |
The ignition interlock condition comes after Back on Track, not instead of it. Once your licence is reinstated, you may only drive a vehicle fitted with an approved interlock device for the required period. Our guide to ignition interlock after a DUI explains how the device and its rules work.
Ontario's reduced suspension program can let some eligible first offenders who resolve their case early return to driving sooner with an interlock. The eligibility rules and deadlines are strict, and program requirements still apply, so get legal advice before deciding whether to pursue it.
What happens if you do not complete the program?
If you do not complete Back on Track, your licence stays suspended. Driving anyway can lead to charges for driving while suspended or disqualified, which carry serious penalties of their own and can push reinstatement even further away. Our article on the consequences of driving during a DUI prohibition explains those risks.
Can a lawyer help you avoid Back on Track?
Back on Track follows a conviction, so the most direct way to avoid it is to defend the charge itself. A DUI lawyer can examine the traffic stop, the breath or drug testing, the disclosure and whether your Charter rights were respected. A charge that is withdrawn, dismissed or ends in an acquittal does not produce the conviction that triggers the program.
If a conviction is likely, a lawyer can also explain how the timing of a resolution may affect your eligibility for reduced suspension options. Whether your case is in Toronto, Newmarket or Richmond Hill, where our page covers licence and remedial programs after a conviction, the same provincial rules apply once the court enters a conviction.
Talk to Jonathan about your licence
Back on Track is only one piece of the licence puzzle after an impaired driving charge. Our Toronto DUI defence team can explain every requirement that may apply to you, review the evidence against you and help you make informed decisions from the start. The full list of DUI penalties sets out every consequence in one place.
Jonathan Lapid — DUI & Impaired Driving Lawyer
Licensed by the Law Society of Ontario with more than 25 years defending drinking-and-driving charges in Toronto and GTA courts. Interviewed by Maclean’s and Global News on impaired-driving law.
