Ten thousand people are driving without licences in Nova Scotia, says the province, and 1,000 of them have had their licences suspended because they are a danger to the public.

Nova Scotia's Registrar of Motor Vehicles, Paul Arsenault, said there is no proper way to enforce licence suspensions and the problem is widespread.

"It's a real issue, not only in Nova Scotia, but right across Canada and the U.S., where people continue to drive [without licenses]," Arsenault said.

Arsenault said the province does not have the authority to seize vehicles from drivers whose licences have been taken away, and even if it did, there is no way to stop a person from buying another vehicle to drive. Even putting chronic offenders in jail does not stop the problem entirely, he said, because some people drive again after they're released.

Arsenault said the number of people driving without licences in Nova Scotia is about five to 10 per cent of the total drivers.

"We have done surveys in the past looking at how many people drive while they are suspended, or just ignore any suspension or revocations on their driver's licences, and we are looking at around 10,000 or so."

The number of drivers considered to be dangerous and driving without licences is less than one per cent of total drivers.

Arsenault said the number of unlicensed drivers is lower in Nova Scotia than in other provinces.