On March 18, 2020, temporary regulations under the Highway Traffic Act, Photo Card Act, Environmental Protection Act and Motorized Snow Vehicles Act were put in place to extend the validity of driver, vehicle and carrier products and services, including heavy commercial vehicle validation stickers, that expired on or after March 1, 2020.
This has resulted in a substantial backlog of deferred transactions and raised enforcement concerns about the validity of expired licences. In an effort to address these issues and get people and businesses up-to-date, Ontario is reinstating the renewal requirements for driver and vehicle products.
Note the the extension validity periods below have little meaning to drivers and vehicles crossing the border into the United States. The FMCSA have announced that their waiver program is expiring November 30th, which means that driver licences and vehicle plate stickers will need to be updated for cross border travel after November 30th.
For more information:
Waiver in Response to the COVID-19 National Emergency – For States, CDL Holders, CLP Holders, and Interstate Drivers
Operating Commercial Motor Vehicles
For a PDF of the below information, click here.
For driver and vehicle products to remain valid, renewal of documents and/or completed transactions are required by the following deadlines:
- Drivers under age 80 (Class G/M)
- Class G/M drivers under 80 years of age with driver’s licences with expiry dates between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022, must renew their driver’s licence or Enhanced Driver’s Licence (EDL) by February 28, 2022.
- Ontario has waived the requirement to update the driver’s licence photo for people whose driver’s licences would have expired between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022, to allow these drivers to renew their licences online.
- Regular driver’s licence renewals will resume March 1, 2022.
- Senior drivers aged 80 and over (Class G/M)
- Senior drivers aged 80 and over with driver’s licences with expiry dates between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022 must renew their driver’s licences by February 28, 2022.
- Ontario has paused the Senior Driver’s Group Education Session program and has waived the requirement for drivers aged 80 and older to visit a ServiceOntario centre in person to renew their licences. These drivers may now renew their licences online.
- Regular driver’s licence renewals for senior drivers aged 80 and above will resume March 1, 2022.
- Novice drivers (Class G1, G2, M1, or M2)
- Novice drivers with licence expiry dates between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, will have until December 31, 2022, to complete testing to maintain or upgrade their licence.
- Regular expiry dates for Class G1 and G2 novice driver’s licences will resume January 1, 2023.
- Novice drivers who enrolled in a Beginner Driver Education (BDE) course between March 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, will have until December 31, 2022, to complete their course.
- Driving Instructor and Beginner Driver Education course providers
- Individuals who applied for Driving Instructor certification between March 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, will have until December 31, 2022, to complete all requirements.
- Driving Instructor licences that expired after March 1, 2020, must be renewed by February 28, 2022.
- Commercial Drivers (class A, B, C, D, E and F)
- Commercial driver’s licences with expiry dates between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022, must renew their driver’s licences by February 28, 2022.
- Regular commercial driver’s licence renewals will resume March 1, 2022.
- Class B and E driver’s licence holders that completed their road test up to December 31, 2021, will have until June 30, 2022, to complete their School Bus Driver Improvement Course (SBDIC). Ontario Photo Card holders • Ontario Photo Card with expiry dates between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022, must renew their cards by February 28, 2022.
- Carrier products •
- On June 1, 2021, Ontario reinstated the renewal requirements for certain carrier products that expired on or after March 1, 2020. If you have not renewed the following products, you must do so in order to continue operating in Ontario:
- Commercial Vehicle Operators Registration (CVOR) certificates
- Annual and semi-annual vehicle inspection certificates
- Annual oversize/overweight permits
- Garage licences
- On June 1, 2021, Ontario reinstated the renewal requirements for certain carrier products that expired on or after March 1, 2020. If you have not renewed the following products, you must do so in order to continue operating in Ontario:
- Licence plate stickers (except heavy commercial vehicles)
- Licence plate stickers (except for heavy commercial vehicles) must be renewed by February 28, 2022.
- Vehicle registration and safety inspections
- Safety Standard Certificates that expired on or after March 1, 2020, and before September 1, 2021, will be valid until October 6, 2021.
- Temporary registrations and special permits that expired on or after March 1, 2020, to October 5, 2021, will be valid until October 6, 2021.
- Vehicle owners who moved to Ontario on or after March 1, 2020, and before September 1, 2021, must register their vehicle in Ontario by October 6, 2021.
- Individuals requiring name or address changes or vehicle modifications that occurred on or after March 1, 2020, but before February 23, 2022, must update their vehicle registration by February 28, 2022.
- Vehicle owners who purchased a used vehicle on or after March 1, 2020, and before September 1, 2021, must transfer the vehicle into their name and attach plates by October 6, 2021.
- All motorized snow vehicle registrations, address and/or name change, or vehicle modification transactions must be completed by February 28, 2022.
- Heavy Commercial Vehicles – International Registration Plan (IRP)
- IRP vehicles that expired March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, and have not renewed must renew by December 31, 2021, to ensure their plates remain valid. Fees will be charged from the last expiry date for all jurisdictions, regardless of the date of renewal.
- Carriers may choose to pay the Ontario portion of the IRP fees owing for the extension period (March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021) through a payment plan, over a period of up to 24 months, instead of paying as part of their renewal. If carriers choose the payment plan:
- They must submit the renewal application by using IRP online services, email, fax, courier, or mail to an IRP office, so that the Ontario portion of the fees can be adjusted.
- Payment of deferred IRP renewal fees, only applicable to the Ontario potion of fees, will begin in January 2022 but will not be payable at IRP offices.
- IRP carriers interested in the payment plan must complete the intake and declaration form (provided with their renewal letter) and submit with their fleet renewal.
- Details on how to pay the deferred IRP renewal fees will be provided in Winter 2021/2022.
- If carriers did not operate their vehicle(s) after their expiry date and during the extension period, they must complete and submit to the IRP office the declaration provided with their notice listing the vehicles that were not operational to support their removal from the renewal. Carriers will be required to supply supporting documentation and may be subject to an audit of their facilities at the ministry’s discretion.
- IRP vehicles expiring September 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, will also have until December 31, 2021, to renew.
- Ontario’s IRP waiver will be in effect until December 31, 2021. Ontario’s waiver, and all other IRP jurisdictions waivers, can be found on the IRP Inc. website: www.irponline.org.
- Heavy Commercial Vehicles Operating in Ontario Only (non-IRP)
- Heavy commercial vehicles that expired March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, and have not renewed, must renew by December 31, 2021, to ensure their plates remain valid. Heavy commercial vehicles owners will be required to take the following steps:
- 1. Renew their licence plate sticker(s) in-person at a ServiceOntario centre by December 31, 2021.
- 2. If vehicles were operated during the extension period (March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021) affected vehicle owners will be required to pay the appropriate renewal fee beginning January 2022.
- MTO will be offering a payment plan where fees can be paid over a period of up to 24 months to provide financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- This fee will not be payable at ServiceOntario.
- If the vehicle was not operated for one or more months during the extension period, the vehicle owner may apply for an exemption from the outstanding renewal fee. They must submit a declaration to the ministry and supply supporting documentation. Carriers may be subject to an audit of their facilities at the ministry’s discretion.
- More information on the payment plan will be mailed to impacted vehicle owners in early 2022.
- To estimate renewal fees, vehicle owners may refer to the Vehicle Validation Fee calculator and fee schedules at: https://www.apps.rus.mto.gov.on.ca/jtips/validFeeCaculator.do?method=view&lang=EN
- To provide additional financial relief, the province will be reducing validation fees for renewals that are for a period of less than 12 months, from September 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023.
- Heavy commercial vehicles that expired March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, and have not renewed, must renew by December 31, 2021, to ensure their plates remain valid. Heavy commercial vehicles owners will be required to take the following steps:
Renewal notices are being mailed to customers who took advantage of driver’s licence and vehicle validation (non-heavy commercial vehicle) extensions and for those whose renewals are due before February 28, 2022. Heavy commercial vehicle owners who must renew by December 31, 2021, will receive a renewal notice. Drivers with an expiry after February 28, 2022, must renew by the date indicated on the licence and will also be sent a renewal notice. We strongly encourage individuals to renew their driver’s licences and licence plate stickers online, if eligible, at ServiceOntario.ca. Renewing online will help reduce lines at ServiceOntario centres and help staff and customers physically distance to stop the spread of COVID-19.
If members would like to discuss the operational aspects of the lifting of these temporary regulations, they may contact:
- For vehicle related enquiries, Elizabeth Marles, Manager, Vehicle Program Development Office, at 647-385-6440 or Elizabeth.Marles@ontario.ca
- For Drivers’ Licences or Temporary Drivers’ Licence related enquiries, Kim MacCarl, Manager, Driver Program Development Office, at 416-459-4044 or email Kim.MacCarl@ontario.ca
- For carrier related enquiries, Jennifer Elliott, Manager, Licensing, Permits and Support Office, at 416-200-3107 or email Jennifer.Elliott@ontario.ca
- For driver examination services enquiries, Tara McCord, Manager, Program Oversight and Integrity, at 647-302-9147 or Tara.McCord@ontario.ca
- For medical related enquiries, Michele Mills, Manager, Driver Medical Review Office at 416-235-5322 or Michele.Mills@ontario.ca
- For driver control enquiries, Andrew Davidson, Manager, Driver Control at 647- 505 9041 or Andrew.Davidson@ontario.ca
- For IRP enquiries, contact the International Registration Plan Program Office at 416-235-3923 or toll free at 1-866-587-6770 or email at irp@ontario.ca