Register and insure a vehicle in Ontario
By law, before you can drive a vehicle on Ontario roads, you need:
- Proper insurance for the vehicle
- A permit that says you are the legal owner of the vehicle
- Licence plates with up-to-date validation stickers.
Your vehicle must also meet basic safety and emissions standards. Here are some answers to common questions about vehicle permits, licence plates and validation stickers.
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Insure a vehicle
You need to have insurance for your vehicle before you register as the owner. You need to buy insurance from a private insurance company.
All vehicles must be insured for third-party liability for at least $200,000. This covers you in the event that you injure or kill someone or damage someone's property while driving. Collision insurance to cover damage to your own vehicle is a good idea, but not required by law.
When driving your own or someone else's vehicle, you must carry the “pink slip” (liability insurance card) for that particular vehicle.
How do I insure a seasonal vehicle?
Register a vehicle
When you register as the owner of a vehicle, you will get a green paper permit and licence plates. This process is called “registering” your vehicle.
If you buy a vehicle from a dealer: most dealers will do the paperwork for you.
If you buy a used vehicle: you will need to register the vehicle yourself.
Vehicle permit (ownership)
The vehicle permit has information about the owner of a vehicle and an accurate description of the vehicle. It contains:
- the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- the make and model of the car
- the name and address of the vehicle owner
- the plate number that is attached to the vehicle
- the smaller part of the licence plate validation sticker
You must carry your vehicle permit with you when you drive. You will be asked to produce this permit — to verify that you are the legal owner of the car you are driving — if you are pulled over by the police.
Register an out-of-province vehicle
Change address on a vehicle permit
How do I transfer the ownership?
Other types of vehicle permits
Temporary vehicle permits
A temporary vehicle permit allows you to drive for short-term purposes only. For example, you can use this permit to drive a vehicle to a:
- licensing office
- garage (e.g., to satisfy Safety Standards Certificate or Drive Clean requirements)
Get a temporary licence plate sticker.
Special vehicle permits
A special permit grants temporary privileges to certain vehicles while they are driving on Ontario roads:
- out-of-province vehicles
- laden commercial vehicles –e.g., a truck that tows a trailer or carries goods and cargo, over a certain weight
More about special vehicle permits.
Licence plates and validation stickers
Licence plates
To drive a vehicle on the roads, it needs to have:
- Licence plates
- A validation sticker showing the date of expiry
In Ontario, licence plates move with you – the owner, not with the vehicle. If you sell or change vehicles, you keep the licence plates and put them on your new vehicle.
If you are not going to use your old licence plates, you can return them to a ServiceOntario centre.
How do I:
Order personalized licence plates?
Replace personalized licence plates?
Licence plate validation stickers
The licence plates on your vehicle must be valid. A licence plate sticker goes on a licence plate to confirm that the plates are valid. In most cases, validation stickers go on the rear plate in the top right corner. Most stickers are valid for either one or two years.
You need to renew your sticker before it expires, which is generally on your birthday.
How to renew licence plate stickers
Replace a lost, stolen or damaged licence plate sticker
Vehicle record (abstract)
A vehicle record (also called an “abstract”) is a document containing information about the vehicle and its registered owner.
In general, a vehicle abstract contains:
- A vehicle description
- The current - and any previous - plate number attached to the vehicle
- The names of all current and previous registered owners
- Driver's licence and/or identification numbers of all current and previous registered owners
- Date(s) the vehicle was registered to each owner
- The vehicle status
You can request a variety of vehicle abstracts (e.g., vehicle history, licence plate abstract) depending on the type of information you want.
Vehicle records can be certified or uncertified. A certified copy is the official record – issued by the Ministry of Transportation. You may need a certified record for legal purposes.
