For Ontario motor vehicle dealers and salespeople, keeping your OMVIC registration current is required by law and necessary for you to keep working or running your dealership.
In theory, this should all be easier now as all registrants can track registrations, renewals and a wealth of other OMVIC information on their customized digital “portal”. The OMVIC Services Portal can be found by following this link HERE
Keep Your Information Up to Date
Dealers and salespeople must tell OMVIC about certain changes to their information.
Under section 24 of the MVDA, some changes must be reported to the Registrar within five days. This includes changes to an address for service and certain changes involving a dealer’s officers and directors.
Dealers must also report when a salesperson starts or stops working for the dealership. If a salesperson’s employment ends, the dealer must also report the reason for the termination. Salespeople have their own obligation to report changes in their employment. Registrants should not wait until renewal to report these changes.
Moving your dealership? Plan ahead. A dealership cannot simply move to a new location and start trading there. Section 28(4) of the General Regulation under the MVDA says that a registered dealer generally cannot trade except from a place authorized by the dealer’s registration.
So, if you are moving your dealership or adding a new location, start the process with OMVIC before you move or start trading at the new location. This can be done through the OMVIC Services Portal by filing a Business Change Notice.
OMVIC needs to authorize the location before you can trade there. The process can take time, in some cases several weeks. Planning ahead can help you avoid a situation where you have moved your business but cannot legally trade from the new location.
Don’t Leave Renewal Until the Last Minute
Your registration has an expiry date, which can be found on your OMVIC Services Portal. Make sure to keep track of this using your computer’s calendar or “tickler software”. Do not wait until the last minute to renew.
OMVIC makes renewal applications available 60 days before your registration expires. Use this time to make sure everything is in order.
Before you renew, make sure you have completed your OMVIC Transaction Fee Register, where required, and your required Continuing Professional Development (CPD). These requirements must be completed before you can renew your registration. If you do not complete them, your registration will expire and you could face a late fee and an interruption to your ability to legally work or trade.
Renewals can be done through the OMVIC Services Portal. Registrants can also check their CPD requirement through the OMVIC Services Portal under the “Education” tab. Members who are required to complete the OMVIC REVs program for their CPD requirement can also do so through the OMVIC Services Portal. Those required to complete the Georgian College Key Elements Course can sign up by contacting the college HERE
Dealers can find more info about the OMVIC Transaction Fee Excel sheet by following this tutorial HERE
Planning ahead can help you avoid unnecessary fees, lost sales and a lapse in your registration.
Your Registration Is Your Livelihood
It can be easy to think of these requirements as paperwork. They are not. Your OMVIC registration allows you to legally work as a salesperson or operate as a dealer. If your registration expires, you cannot legally continue to trade as a dealer or salesperson.
The same applies if your dealership is operating from a location that is not authorized by its registration. An expired registration or an unauthorized location can mean lost business, lost income and serious compliance problems.
Stay ahead of your renewal. Know your expiry date. Check your OMVIC profile. Report changes on time. Make sure your dealership operates only from an authorized location. Complete your CPD. Complete your OMVIC Transaction Fee Register. And renew before your registration expires.
The UCDA is always ready to assist its members, including through its educational courses designed to help members prepare for their CPD.
Members with questions about the renewal process, including CPD requirements or the OMVIC Transaction Fee Register, are welcome to contact the UCDA’s Education and Legal Departments at (416) 231-2600 or 1-800-268-2598.