Well technician licence

Working on wells

The licensing of well contractors and technicians promotes and supports enforcement of safe environmental practices to maintain the health of Ontario’s groundwater resources.

By law, to construct, repair or upgrade a well, you must:

• have a valid well technician licence of the correct class
• work under the authority of a valid well contractor licence or licence holder

For limited exemptions, read the Wells Regulation.

Your well technician licence expires on March 31 the year after it was issued. For example, if your licence was issued in 2022, it will expire on March 31, 2023.

Requirements for a well technician licence

Anyone 18 years or older with the required education and work experience can become a licensed well technician in four steps:

• Take an approved course.
• Pass the licensing exam.
• Complete an online application form.
• Pay the application fees.

Types of licence classes

There are five different well technician licence classes. Each authorizes you to perform a specific activity. You can apply to more than one at a time.

If you are not sure what class of licence you might be eligible for, contact the Wells Help Desk by email at wellshelpdesk@ontario.ca.

Class 1: well drilling

Construct or supervise the construction of a well using well drilling equipment, including:

• rotary drilling equipment including standard, reverse, air, mud and air percussion
• cable tools including churn and air percussion
• diamond drilling equipment

Class 2: well digging and boring

Construct or supervise the construction of a well with:

• non-powered equipment
• back-hoe, power shovel or boring/augering equipment

Class 3: other well construction

Construct or supervise the construction of a type of well described in the licence, using only the methods or equipment specified in the licence.

Class 4: pump installation

Install and supervise the installation of a pump in or connected to wells.

Class 5: monitoring, sampling, testing and non-powered construction

Install and supervise the installation of:

• monitoring, sampling or testing equipment in a well, other than equipment used to test the yield of the well or the aquifer
• pumps in a test hole or dewatering well for monitoring, sampling or testing purposes
• test holes and dewatering wells by any method that doesn’t use powered equipment

Pre-requisite education and work experience

For Classes 1 to 4:

• 4,000 hours per class of work experience helping or doing the activity related to the class, or a combination of work experience and other qualifications considered equivalent.

For Class 5:

• 1,000 hours of work experience helping or doing the activity related to the class, or a combination of work experience and other qualifications considered equivalent.
• 500 hours of work experience are required for members of:
  • Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario as an engineer-in-training (EIT)
  • Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario as a geoscientist-in-training (GIT)
  • Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists as a technician or technologist-in-training (CTIT)

Apply for a licence

Step 1: complete an approved course

Contact Lusk Geo Inc. for a list of training courses offered.

Step 2: pass the licensing exam

To register for an exam:

• complete the Appointment to Take an Examination Form 
• pay the $50 fee

You will be contacted to schedule an appointment to write the exam.

Step 3: complete the online application form

With your application form, attach proof of:

• completion of the approved course
• hours of relevant work experience

To provide proof of your hours of relevant work experience, you can use a letter of reference from your:

• employer
• clients, if you are self-employed

The letter must include:

• name of employer/well contractor
• dates of employment
• type of employment (for example, full/part-time, number of hours)
• duties and responsibilities relating to the licence and class being requested
• consent to contact the specific individual who supervised the work
• copies of well records indicating the activity you were helping or doing while supervised (if applicable)

Once you application is submitted, you will receive an email confirmation and electronic copy of your licence application form.

Step 4: pay the application fee

Applications fees are $100 for a licence with one class, plus $25 for each additional class.

You can pay your fee online through the application form by:

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Visa Debit or Mastercard Debit.

Renewing your licence

Your licence expires on March 31 the year after it was issued. For example, if your licence was issued in 2022, it will expire on March 31, 2023.

If we do not receive your application to renew your existing licence before your licence expires, you will need to apply for a new licence by following steps 1-4 on this page.

To renew your licence:

• Complete the online renewal application form.
• When required, include proof of continuing education credits (a certificate, academic record) every 3 years:
  • for Classes 1-4, proof of 21 hours is required
  • for Class 5, proof of 14 hours is required

• Pay the $100 renewal application fee through the online application form.

Add a new class to your well technician licence

To add a new class:

• complete the online application form
• pay the $25 fee for each additional class
• submit either:
  • proof of the required hours per class of work experience helping or doing the activity related to the class, or,
  • a combination of work experience and other qualifications considered equivalent, as follows:

For Classes 1 to 4:

• 4,000 hours per class of work experience helping or doing the activity related to the class, or a combination of work experience and other qualifications considered equivalent.

For Class 5:

• 1,000 hours of work experience helping or doing the activity related to the class, or a combination of work experience and other qualifications considered equivalent.
• 500 hours of work experience are required for members of:
  • Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario as an engineer-in-training (EIT)
  • Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario as a geoscientist-in-training (GIT)
  • Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists as a technician or technologist-in-training (CTIT)

Out of province well technicians

You need to have an Ontario well technician licence to work on wells in Ontario.

If you hold a well technician licence from another Canadian province or territory, your licence qualification may be recognized in Ontario. To determine if your qualifications will be considered towards obtaining an Ontario licence, please:

• Complete the online Ontario application form.
• Attach a copy of your well construction licence(s) issued in another Canadian province or territory.
• Attach a verification letter for each licence from the government agency that issued the licence. Letters must include details of your experience such as:
  • types of wells constructed
  • types of equipment operated
  • repair, alteration, or upgrade work (for example, replacing pumps or pumping equipment)
  • number of wells constructed each year (for the past five years)
  • any complaints or compliance issues filed against you
• Pay $100 fee for a licence with one class, plus $25 for each additional class.

After a complete application form is submitted, your eligibility for an Ontario well technician licence will be evaluated.

After eligibility is confirmed, you will then need to apply to take an Ontario exam. To register for an exam:

• pay the $50 fee
• complete the Appointment to Take an Examination Form. You will be contacted to schedule an appointment to write the exam.

Source law

You can find the complete set of rules relating to this activity at:

• Wells Regulation
• Ontario Water Resources Act