Streamlined certification for out-of-province building officials

Overview

If you are a building official from another Canadian province or territory, you can apply to have your credentials recognized in Ontario through an Equivalency Assessment or an As of Right application.

Equivalency Assessments

The ministry provides equivalency assessments to help Ontario municipalities recruit knowledgeable building officials from outside the province, while protecting public health and safety in the construction of new buildings. These assessments determine if an applicant’s knowledge of the Building Code Act and Ontario’s Building Code is at least equivalent to what would be evaluated by the ministry’s technical exams.

The ministry retains the authority to update this policy document as necessary and to end the equivalency assessment program at any time.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following requirements to apply:

• Successful completion of at least one Building Code course and/or exam offered by a post-secondary educational institution or an association representing building officials in another province or territory, that is related to their intended scope of practice in Ontario.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience performing building permit/plans review and/or conducting inspections in another province or territory.

Application process

Submit a request

Applicants may submit a request for an equivalency assessment to the ministry by either:

• sending an email, with the subject line “Request for Equivalency Assessment” to OBC.Qualification@ontario.ca

• sending a letter by mail with “Request for Equivalency Assessment” on the envelope to:

  Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
  Building and Development Branch
  12th Floor, 777 Bay Street
  Toronto, Ontario
  M7A 2J3

Each application must indicate which of the following Ontario qualifications the applicant is seeking an equivalency assessment for:

• House
• Small Buildings
• Large Buildings
• Complex Buildings
• Plumbing-house
• Plumbing-all buildings
• HVAC-house
• Building Services
• Building Structural
• Onsite Sewage Systems
• Fire Protection
• Detection, Lighting and Power

Applications must also include the following information:

• contact information for the applicant (including name, phone number, email address, mailing address)
• Building Code training courses and/or exams that have been completed relevant to the qualifications being sought (for example, certificates, transcripts, membership, registration/license documents)
• evidence of work experience relevant to the qualifications being sought, including positions occupied, duties performed and length of service (for example, resume, letters of reference from past and current employers, contact details of past and current employers)
• any other information considered relevant to support the ministry’s equivalency assessment process

By applying for an equivalency assessment, the applicant provides the ministry with consent to contact individuals and organizations listed within the application to help clarify and verify the accuracy of the information provided.

Deadline to submit

Applicants may apply for an equivalency assessment until December 31, 2026. There is no application fee.

Ministry review

Ministry staff will review each application and follow up with applicants to confirm if they are eligible for an assessment or whether any additional information is required before an assessment can commence.

The ministry will endeavour to complete each equivalency assessment within 30 working days of confirming an applicant’s eligibility, in accordance with its own internal service standard. This assessment period could be extended if any of the supporting documents required have not been submitted.

Assessment process

The assessment process will involve reviewing the information submitted and comparing it with the required level of knowledge gained by successfully challenging the ministry’s technical exams. The ministry will use its study guides for Building Code examinations and other materials to provide a threshold for its knowledge requirements.

The assessment will include input from the ministry’s subject matter experts. With the applicant’s consent, ministry staff may also seek input from experts outside of the ministry to support its recommendations. The ministry will contact the applicant for consent prior to seeking input from outside experts.

On receiving a recommendation, the Director of the Building and Development Branch of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will notify the applicant of their decision in writing. The decision will be final and may not be appealed.

Conditions to practise in Ontario

If an equivalency is granted, the applicant must comply with the following qualification and registration requirements before they may practise in Ontario:

• pass one of 2 administrative/legal Building Code examinations:
  1. Powers and Duties of CBO (to practise as a Chief Building Official (CBO), CBO-Sewage, or CBO-Plumbing)
  2. General Legal/Process or Powers and Duties of CBO (to practise as an Inspector or Supervisor/Manager)
• obtain an offer of employment with a principal authority (e.g., municipality, conservation authority, health unit) in Ontario.
• register with the ministry through the Qualification and Registration Tracking System (QuARTS).
• pay the registration fee for building officials
• renew registration on an annual basis to maintain the ability to practise
• comply with the conditions of registration set out in Section 3.1., Division C, of the Building Code in the same way as any individual who has successfully challenged the ministry’s technical exams

The technical qualifications granted by the equivalency assessment will appear on the applicant’s QuARTS profile and on the QuARTS public search registry. Equivalency assessments do not expire and will continue to be recognized in accordance the ministry’s qualification and registration program.

As of Right applications

A building official who is certified by an out-of-province regulatory authority can apply to begin working in Ontario using this streamlined process (O. Reg. 199/25 Deemed Certified) as provided under section 10.1 of the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009. It allows them to get the qualifications they need to start working in Ontario within 10 days of submitting a complete application (including passing an appropriate Building Code legal exam) to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Application process

An eligible individual from another province or territory would need to comply with the following steps:

1. notify the ministry that they would like to pursue the “As of Right” process
2. provide the ministry with:

• a valid authorizing certificate from a regulatory authority within their home jurisdiction
• successfully challenge 1 of the following 2 local knowledge tests within 10 business days of submitting a complete application:
  • Powers and Duties of CBO (to practise as a Chief Building Official (CBO), CBO-Sewage, or CBO-Plumbing)
  • General Legal/Process or Powers and Duties of CBO (to practise as an Inspector or Supervisor/Manager)

3. applicants may submit a request for an “As of Right” application by either:
   • sending an email, with the subject line “As of Right Application” to OBC.Qualification@ontario.ca

   • sending a letter by mail with “As of Right Application” on the envelope to:

     Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
     Building and Development Branch
     12th Floor, 777 Bay Street
     Toronto, Ontario
     M7A 2J3 

Applicants will receive confirmation of their application being received within 1-2 business days.

There are no processing fees for the application.

There are no internal review or appeal processes available to applicants who are not considered eligible for As of Right recognition from another province.

Conditions to practise in Ontario

Once an applicant is deemed certified, they must comply with the following qualification and registration requirements before they may practise in Ontario:

• obtain an offer of employment with a principal authority (e.g., municipality, conservation authority, health unit) in Ontario.
• register with the Ministry through the Qualification and Registration Tracking System (QuARTS)
• pay the registration fee for building officials
• renew registration on an annual basis to maintain the ability to practise
• comply with the conditions of registration set out in Section 3.1., Division C, of the Building Code in the same way as any individual who has successfully challenged the ministry’s technical exams

Internationally trained building officials

• If you were certified outside of Canada, find out more about programs to help internationally-trained workers get certified in Ontario.
• Individuals interested in becoming a building official can start working immediately in some municipalities under the supervision of a qualified building officials via the building inspector internship program. While in the program, they can work toward qualifications needed to practice independently in Ontario.

Labour mobility

Labour mobility is based on the principle of certificate-to-certificate recognition under Chapter Seven (Labour Mobility) of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. In Ontario, it is also enshrined under the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009 (OLMA) and the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA). The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development works with oversight ministries to ensure that labour mobility is implemented and adhered to.

Most regulated occupations in Canada have similar occupational standards across provinces and territories. This makes certificate-to-certification recognition of regulated occupations easier, enabling certified workers to be registered faster and work freely in Ontario.

Learn more about the frequently asked questions for a worker, regulatory authority or employer on labour mobility in Canada.

For more information on provincial and territorial apprenticeship mobility, refer to the Provincial-Territorial Apprenticeship Mobility Guidelines or Transfer Guide.