Get a towing or vehicle storage certificate

Overview

Under the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021 (TSSEA), a certificate is required to provide towing or vehicle storage services in Ontario.

There are 3 types of certificates:

• tow operator certificate
• tow driver certificate
• vehicle storage operator certificate

You must meet certain requirements to apply for and keep your certification.

Tow operator and vehicle storage certificates must be renewed every year. Tow driver certificates must be renewed every 3 years.

Eligibility and requirements

There are different requirements to be eligible for each certificate.

Before taking the mandatory driver training course, make sure you check for any convictions, driver’s licence suspensions and other requirements that may make you ineligible for certification.

Tow truck drivers

To apply for or renew a certificate, you must have:

• have a valid driver’s licence (minimum G class)
• provide a complete Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) issued within the past 90 days
• have completed a one-time mandatory driver training program approved by the Ministry of Transportation.
• not have been convicted of certain offences or have a licence suspension under the:
  • Criminal Code of Canada
  • Highway Traffic Act
  • Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
  • Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act
• not have any court orders or conditions of parole that prohibit you from possessing a weapon or prohibit you from being around or alone with certain people outlined in the court order
• not be confined in a correctional institution or a penitentiary, or in police custody
• have no outstanding fees or fines
• have not been refused a municipal licence or a certificate under the TSSEA
• have always provided towing services competently and safely

Tow operators

A tow operator is a person or company that offers towing services.

To apply for or renew a certificate, you must:

• have a valid Ontario Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) certificate — if you do not have a CVOR, a National Safety Certificate (NSC) will be required
• meet commercial vehicle safety requirements, including requirements for vehicle inspections and equipment (tow truck operators are currently exempt from Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) requirements)
• have minimum insurance coverage of:
  • $2 million in liability insurance for personal injury or death and loss or damage to property
  • $100,000 in consumer vehicle insurance
  • $50,000 in cargo liability insurance
• have no outstanding fees or fines
• have not been refused a municipal licence or a certificate under the TSSEA
• have always provided towing services competently and safely
• have not contravened the following laws, or engaged an employee or contractor who contravened these laws while working for you:
  • TSSEA
  • Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act
  • Provisions of the Highway Traffic Act applicable to driving or operating a tow truck
  • Provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 applicable to consumer agreements

All applicants, corporate officers and directors of the tow company must:

• provide a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) issued within the past 90 days — corporate officers and directors will be verified with the Ontario Business Registry or Corporations Canada before we process the application
• not have been convicted of certain offences under the:
  • Criminal Code of Canada
  • Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• not have any court orders or conditions of parole that prohibit you from possessing a weapon or prohibit you from being around or alone with certain people outlined in the court order
• not be confined in a correctional institution or a penitentiary, or in police custody

Vehicle storage operators

A vehicle storage operator is a person or company that offers vehicle storage facilities or services.

To apply for or renew a certificate, you must:

• have minimum insurance coverage of:
  • $2 million in liability insurance for personal injury or death and loss or damage to property
  • $100,000 in consumer vehicle insurance
  • $50,000 in cargo liability insurance
• meet municipal zoning requirements for all vehicle storage locations. Contact your municipality for information on zoning requirements.
• have no outstanding fees or fines
• have not been refused a municipal licence or a certificate under the TSSEA
• have always provided vehicle storage services competently and safely
• have not contravened the TSSEA or provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 applicable to consumer agreements or engaged an employee or contractor who contravened these laws while working for you

All applicants, corporate officers and directors of the vehicle storage company must:

• provide a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) issued within the past 90 days — corporate officers and directors will be verified with the Ontario Business Registry or Corporations Canada before processing the application.
• not have been convicted of certain offences under the:
  • Criminal Code of Canada
  • Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• not have any court orders or conditions of parole that prohibit you from possessing a weapon or prohibit you from being around or alone with certain people outlined in the court order
• not be confined in a correctional institution or a penitentiary, or in police custody

Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check

A Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check  (CRJMC) is required for all applicants and is required to be submitted with your original application and every  renewal. The CRJMC must be less than 90 days old from the search date when you submit your application.

If you are applying as a corporation, all active corporate officers and directors listed in the Ontario Business Registry or Corporations Canada need to have a CRJMC. Please ensure information about your corporate officers is up to date in the registry. Any discrepancies in corporate officers will result in a delay in processing the application or the application being returned.

Learn more about police record checks.

Convictions that make you ineligible

If you or any corporate officers in your company have certain convictions, you won’t be eligible for a certificate indefinitely or for a certain length of time from the day you were convicted.

In addition to the above convictions, tow driver applicants won’t be eligible for a certificate if they have certain driver’s licence suspensions in the previous 2 years.

Refer to Ontario Regulation 167/23 for more details about the types of convictions and suspensions that make you ineligible.

If you or any corporate officers and directors in your company have certain convictions, you won’t be eligible for a certificate indefinitely or for a certain length of time from the day you were convicted.

Read the detailed list of offences.

Criminal Code of Canada convictions

• terrorism (indefinitely)
• firearms (5 years)
• sexual offences (either 5 years or indefinitely, depending on the offence)
• offering, providing or obtaining sexual services for consideration (5 years)
• offences relating to obstructing justice or a public or peace officer (2 years)
• offences against the person and reputation (either 5 years or indefinitely, depending on the offence)
  • for example, assault, uttering threats, criminal negligence, etc.
• offences relating to conveyances (5 years)
  • for example, dangerous operation, operation while impaired, operation while prohibited, etc.
• offences against rights of property (5 years)
  • for example, theft, robbery, breaking and entering, etc.
• fraudulent transactions (5 years)
• wilful and forbidden acts in respect of certain property (5 years)
  • for example, mischief, arson, etc.
• attempting to commit, being an accessory after the fact, counselling, or conspiring to commit any of the above offences (time period depends on offence)

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act convictions

• convictions related to sections 5,6,7 or 7.1 (10 years)
  • for example, trafficking, importing and exporting, production, etc.

Highway Traffic Act driver’s licence suspensions (apply to tow driver applicants only)

• suspension for blood alcohol concentration over 0.05 (2 years)
• suspension for presence of drug (2 years)
• breath testing drivers of commercial motor vehicles (2 years)
• suspension for blood alcohol concentration over 0.08, failing or refusing to provide breath sample (2 years)
• suspension for drug or drug and alcohol impairment (2 years)
• racing, stunts, etc. (2 years)
• false statement (2 years)
• driving while suspended (2 years)
• rate of speed — suspension on conviction (2 years)
• careless driving (2 years)
• careless driving causing bodily harm or death (2 years)
• duty of person in charge of vehicle in case of accident (2 years)
• avoiding police when requested or directed to stop (2 years)

Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act driver’s licence suspensions (apply to tow driver applicants only)

• operating a motor vehicle without automobile insurance (2 years)

Additional requirements

Tow and vehicle storage operators must follow rules and a code of conduct when conducting business with customers. Learn more about them in our guide for towing and storage providers.

Certified tow operators, tow truck drivers and vehicle storage operators must also meet the requirements outlined in the following:

• Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021
• Highway Traffic Act
• Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act

Gather supporting information

You will need different information depending on which certificate you are applying for or renewing.

Tow operator certificate

You need:

• an email address
• a valid Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) number or a valid National Safety Certificate (NSC)
• auto insurance information
• Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check for the applicant and, if applicable, all active corporate officers and directors

Tow driver certificate

You need:

• an email address (must be the email of the tow truck driver, not the company they work for)
• your driver’s licence
• Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check

Vehicle storage certificate

You need:

• an email address
• a list of all vehicle storage locations operating under the certificate
• insurance information
• Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check for the applicant and, if applicable, all active corporate officers and directors

Apply

Before you apply or renew a certificate, make sure to check your eligibility and read about the criminal convictions and licence suspensions that could impact your application.

You can submit an application in:

• your own name as an individual (tow driver) or as a sole proprietor (tow operator/vehicle storage)
• the corporation’s legal business name (tow operator/vehicle storage)

Cost

There is a non-refundable application fee for each certificate (fees are subject to change):

Payment options

When you apply online, you can pay with a:

• credit card (Visa or Mastercard)
• Visa debit or debit Mastercard

Protect your password

Do not share your login or password for the online application portal with anyone. Your password is highly sensitive and must be protected.

Receive your certificate

After your application is processed and accepted, you will receive your certificate by email.

Compliance

If you fail to comply with one or more of the certificate requirements, your application may be refused, or your certificate may be suspended, cancelled, or made subject to additional conditions. The Ministry of Transportation may add, amend or remove any condition on a certificate at any time.

Renew or update your certificate

You will need to renew your certificate regularly to continue operating.

If you are renewing your certificate, make sure to check your eligibility, including recent events such as convictions or driver’s licence suspensions that occurred during the time of your current certificate, as these could affect your eligibility for renewal.

If you currently hold a certificate issued under the TSSEA, the ministry will send you a renewal notification by email approximately 60 days prior to your certificate’s expiry. You cannot submit a renewal application before this notification window.

You can view or update your information on your certificate online by using the self-service portal. This service allows you to:

• Download a copy of your certificate(s)
• Update your contact information
• Update business information (such as insurance, drivers, and vehicles)
• Add or remove vehicle storage locations
• Submit maximum rates

Access to the service will be granted to the main email address that is listed on your record with the ministry. This email address can add additional users to the service if needed.

You are required to submit any changes to your information within 15 days.

To make sure your personal information is safe, do not share your login or password information with anyone, including representatives you may have authorized.

Exemptions

Unless exempt, all tow operators, vehicle storage operators, and tow truck drivers are required to hold a valid certificate in accordance with the TSSEA.

Full exemptions

Full exemptions include:

• A tow truck operated under the authority of a service permit and number plate. For example, test driving a tow truck after or during a repair.

The following motor vehicles are not required to be operated under a tow certificate:

• a motor vehicle only used for personal purposes and used infrequently to tow, for no compensation, another motor vehicle that is only used for personal purposes
• a motor home only used for personal purposes, which is towing another motor vehicle which the motor home driver only uses for personal purposes
• a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Highway Traffic Act, towing one or more motor vehicles using the saddlemount configuration

Tow operator and tow truck driver exemptions

Tow operators and tow truck drivers do not require a certificate if they do not reside in Ontario, the tow truck is registered where they reside, and they meet one of the following conditions:

• the origin of the towing trip began outside of Ontario, and the tow truck is passing through or dropping off a vehicle in Ontario
• they have been directed to provide towing services by a police officer (for example, directed by a police officer to clear a highway, roadway or other area).
• the exemptions listed above do not apply if the tow operator or tow truck driver’s certificate is suspended or cancelled, or if the tow operator or tow truck driver was previously refused a certificate under the TSSEA and did not subsequently obtain a valid certificate.

Vehicle storage operator exemptions

Vehicle storage facilities meeting these conditions do not require a certificate:

• where the storage facility exclusively provides long-term storage (30 days or more) with an upfront contract for storage
• where the vehicle storage facility never charges a fee for vehicle storage services

Partial exemptions

When towing is performed under an existing membership-type towing or roadside assistance contract, the consent and invoicing requirements of the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act (TSSEA) do not apply.

Authorized training providers

Tow truck drivers must complete a mandatory driver training course from a government-approved provider before applying for a Tow Driver certificate. This driver training only needs to be completed once, unless specified by the Director of Towing and Vehicle Storage Standards.

If you submitted an application for a tow truck driver certificate before July 1, 2024, and received a certificate without completing the mandatory driver training course, you must successfully complete a government-approved tow driver training course before renewing your certificate.

Equivalent training:

Tow truck drivers who have completed a training program deemed equivalent within 3 years of applying for a tow driver certificate, but no later than June 30, 2024 may not be required to complete the mandatory ministry approved driver training program. Contact your training provider if you believe you have completed an equivalent ministry approved training course.

When you successfully complete the driver training:

• the training provider will certify you online
• your record will automatically be updated with the Ministry of Transportation and you will be eligible to apply for a tow driver certificate online.

Tow truck driver training is currently being offered by the following provider(s):

 WreckMaster tow truck driver training
 info@towtruckdrivertraining.ca
 Support and direct chat

CAA Club Group tow truck driver training
 networktraining@caasco.ca

 DriveWise tow truck driver training
 info@drivewise.com
705-730-1130

If your organization is interested in becoming an approved training provider please contact towtruckdrivertraining@ontario.ca for an application package.

Appeal process

If your application was refused, you may be eligible to appeal the decision with the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT). Appeal eligibility depends on the application type and the reason for refusal.

Tow driver applications cannot be appealed with LAT. Depending on the reason for refusal, you may be able to provide written submissions to the Director of Towing and Vehicle Storage Standards.

Tow operator and vehicle storage operator applications may be eligible to appeal with LAT. Depending on the reason for refusal, you may only be able to provide written submissions to the Director or Towing and Vehicle Storage Standards.

The letter you receive upon refusal from the ministry will tell you what appeal options are available to you.

Disclaimer

The aim and purpose of this webpage is to help individuals and businesses with information related to the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021 and its associated regulations. While we aim to provide relevant and timely information, no guarantee can be given as to the accuracy or completeness of any information provided. This guidance is not intended to nor does it provide legal advice and should not be relied upon or treated as legal advice. Those seeking legal advice should consult with a qualified legal professional.

In case of discrepancy between website content and relevant Ontario legislation and regulations, the official version of Ontario Acts and Regulations as published by the King's Printer for Ontario will prevail.

Contact us

Ministry of Transportation
Commercial Safety and Compliance Branch
301 St. Paul Street, 3^rd floor
St. Catharines, Ontario
L2R 7R4

Email: towing@ontario.ca

• Tel: 416-246-7166
• Toll-free: 1-800-387-7736 (within Ontario)