At a glance

Licence status
Certification required See the source
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Your roadmap

Trained in Canada

  • 6 steps without a listed fee
  1. Find employment working under the supervision of a certified journeyperson in the trade.

    Source
    “To become an apprentice, you need to have a job working with a certified journeyperson.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/get-started
  2. If you are working in a compulsory certified trade, contact the apprenticeship office and ask an Industry Training Consultant how to get a temporary permit so you can keep working while registration happens.

    Source
    “If you are currently working in one of the compulsory certified trades, contact the apprenticeship office nearest you and ask to speak with an Industry Training Consultant about how to obtain a temporary permit.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice
  3. Complete, sign and submit an application package for an apprenticeship agreement to the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.

    Source
    “Once a potential apprentice and an employer decide to enter into an apprenticeship agreement, an application package must be completed, signed and submitted to the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice
  4. You and your employer enter into an apprenticeship agreement with the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency so you become a registered apprentice.

    Source
    “If you are working in a compulsory trade, you and your employer need to enter into an apprenticeship agreement with the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency so that you can become a registered apprentice.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice
  5. At registration, you may apply for credit of hours for prior workplace experience by providing employer letters, and for credit of theory and practical experience from approved pre-employment technical training.

    Source
    “At the time of registration, an apprentice may apply for a credit of hours for prior workplace experience. The apprentice must provide support documentation in the form of employer letters.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/get-started
  6. Complete the required on-the-job hours, technical training and competency requirements, and successfully pass the certification exam for the trade.

    Source
    “These requirements usually include: working in the trade under the supervision of a journeyperson for a specified period of time as set out in the regulations for that trade; completing the skills, knowledge and competency requirements for the trade; successfully completing all of the the technical training requirements for that trade; and successfully passing the certification exam for that trade.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/tradespersons/trade-certificates

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

6 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Licensed in another province

  • 1 step without a listed fee
  1. If your Certificate of Qualification was issued in another Canadian jurisdiction and is in a compulsory certified trade, apply for an Equivalency Card through AMS using your existing NSAA account.

    Source
    “If your CQ was issued in another Canadian jurisdiction AND is in one of Nova Scotia's compulsory certified trades, including Blaster, you must apply for an Equivalency Card via AMS. If you do not yet have an AMS account, refer to our AMS webpage for more information.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/tradespersons/trade-certificates

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Trained outside Canada

  • 1 step without a listed fee
  1. If you already have experience in the trade, whether gained in Canada or internationally, you may be able to challenge the trade qualifier exam and become certified.

    Source
    “If you already have experience – whether in Canada or internationally – you may be able to challenge the trade qualifier exam and become certified.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/discover-trades/automotive-service-...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Other listed fees

The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.

  • Apprenticeship ID card: $20 (Youth Apprentices only pay the cost of issuing the apprenticeship ID card, which is less than $20.00)
    Source
    “As a Youth Apprentice, you will only need to pay the cost of issuing your apprenticeship ID card, which is less than $20.00.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

Requirements

Other

  • To become an apprentice, you must be supervised in the workplace by a certified journeyperson.

    Source
    “To register, you must be supervised in the workplace by a certified journeyperson.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

Already licensed in another province?

Direct transfer

If your Certificate of Qualification was issued in another Canadian jurisdiction and is in one of Nova Scotia's compulsory certified trades, you must apply for an Equivalency Card via AMS.

Source
“If your CQ was issued in another Canadian jurisdiction AND is in one of Nova Scotia's compulsory certified trades, including Blaster, you must apply for an Equivalency Card via AMS.”
nsapprenticeship.ca/tradespersons/trade-certificates

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Demand and pay

Job Bank wages and outlook in Nova Scotia and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Nova Scotia $17.00 $25.00 $36.32 Good (4 of 5)
Canada $19.00 $29.89 $43.27 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Nova Scotia

Wages in every province and territory

Automotive service technicians in other provinces and territories

Compare automotive service technician licensing across Canada

Sources checked

  1. Trades in Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/trades/trade/restoration-stone-mason · fetched October 9, 2026
  2. Register as an Apprentice | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice · fetched October 9, 2026
  3. Get Started | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/get-started · fetched October 9, 2026
  4. TRADE CERTIFICATES | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/tradespersons/trade-certificates · fetched October 9, 2026
  5. Automotive Service Technician | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/discover-trades/automotive-service-... · fetched October 9, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as an automotive service technician in Nova Scotia?

Yes. Certification, or registration as an apprentice, is required to work in the trade in Nova Scotia. Certification is managed by the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.

Which exams are required?

trade qualifier exam, certification exam, Red Seal exam.

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