- tow truck drivers applying on or after July 1, 2024, must complete approved training before applying.
- tow truck drivers who applied before July 1, 2024 must complete an approved driver training program before renewing their tow driver certificate.
- tow truck drivers who have completed a training program in the past 3 years (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024) that is approved by the ministry are not required to complete a mandatory driver training program again.
- Criminal Code of Canada
- Highway Traffic Act
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
- Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act
Tow operators
A tow operator is a person or company that offers towing services.
To apply for 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
All applicants and corporate officers of the tow company must:
- have a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check ( CRJMC ) — corporate officers 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
Vehicle storage operators
A vehicle storage operator is a person or company that offers vehicle storage facilities or services.
To apply, 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
All applicants and corporate officers of the vehicle storage company must:
- have a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check ( CRJMC ) — corporate officers 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
Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check
A Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check ( CRJMC ) is required for all applicants. 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 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.
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 have been refused a towing or vehicle storage certificate because of a temporary disqualifying condition (such as a criminal code conviction or driver’s licence suspension) and are uncertain about your future eligibility, you should consult a legal professional before re-applying.
- 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 against the person and reputation (either 5 years or indefinitely, depending on the offence)
- for example, assault, uttering threats, criminal negligence, etc.
- for example, dangerous operation, operation while impaired, operation while prohibited, etc.
- for example, theft, robbery, breaking and entering, etc.
- for example, mischief, arson, etc.
- 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
Towing and 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.
Tow operator certificate
- 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
Tow driver certificate
- 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
- 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
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 a sole proprietor (individual)
- the corporation’s legal business name (corporation)
Cost
There is a non-refundable application fee for each certificate (fees are subject to change):
Product Cost Tow operator certificate $575 per year Tow driver certificate $195 for 3 years Vehicle storage certificate $575 per year 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 certificate may be refused, suspended, cancelled or have additional conditions placed on it. The Ministry of Transportation may also add, amend or remove any condition on the 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.
Type of certificate Renewal frequency Tow operator Every year Tow driver Once every 3 years Vehicle storage Every year 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
All tow or vehicle storage operators and tow truck drivers are required to hold a towing or vehicle storage certificate unless exempt.
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 driver exemptions
Tow operators and tow truck drivers meeting these conditions do not require a certificate:
- when the origin of the towing trip begins outside of Ontario, and the tow truck is passing through or dropping off a vehicle in Ontario
- when directed by a police officer in an emergency situation, such as an out-of-province tow operator or tow truck driver directed by a police officer to clear a highway, roadway or other area
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
- vehicle repair facilities that do not charge for storing the vehicle while it is waiting to be repaired or picked up
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
As of July 1, 2024, tow truck drivers must complete a mandatory driver training course from a government-approved provider before applying for or renewing a certificate.
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):
CAA Club Group tow truck driver training
networktraining@caasco.caIf 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.
Contact us
Ministry of Transportation
Commercial Safety and Compliance Branch
301 St. Paul Street, 3 rd floor
St. Catharines, Ontario
L2R 7R4- Tel : 416-246-7166
- Toll-free: 1-800-387-7736 (within Ontario)
Related information
- Know your rights when getting a tow
- Towing and vehicle storage requirements
- Submit tow and vehicle storage rates
- Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act ( TSSEA )
- Commercial vehicle operator’s registration ( CVOR )
- Ontario’s towing task force
- Licence Appeal Tribunal
- Parole Board of Canada
