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Operating authority in Canada is obtained through a process much different than that in the U.S. In the U.S., a carrier wishing to obtain federal operating authority applies to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a federal entity.
In Canada, however, the federal transportation agency, Transport Canada, does not issue a federal operating authority. Transport Canada has delegated its authority to the Canadian jurisdictions through the Motor Vehicle Transport Act and the Motor Carrier Safety Fitness Certificate Regulations. All provinces have deregulated private and for-hire property carrying motor carriers with regards to operating authority. Instead, a carrier must obtain a “safety fitness certificate” from the base jurisdiction as the “authority” to operate on Canadian roads.
Scope
The safety fitness certificate requirements apply to:
- Trucks, tractors, or trailers, or any combination of these vehicles, that have a registered gross vehicle weight exceeding, or that weigh more than, 4,500 kilograms; or
- Buses that are designed, constructed, and used for the transportation of passengers and that have a designated seating capacity of more than 10 persons, including the driver, if they are operated for purposes other than personal use.
Regulatory citations
- None
Key definitions
- None
Summary of requirements
The safety fitness certificate allows a jurisdiction to track the safety performance of the carriers on Canadian roads. With the safety fitness certificate from the base province, an interprovincial carrier can operate throughout Canada. The absence of operating authority within the provinces (for private and for-hire property-carrying operators) does not absolve a carrier from complying with other requirements such as the International Registration Plan (IRP), the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), or other provincial requirements, as applicable.
Bus and motorcoach operating authority. Bus and motorcoach operators are still required to obtain operating authority from the Canadian jurisdiction(s) and must also obtain the safety fitness certificate from the base jurisdiction. Refer to the provincial topic area for more information.
U.S.-based carriers. U.S.-based private and for-hire property carrying motor carriers are not required to obtain a safety fitness certificate from Canadian jurisdictions, except in Ontario and Quebec. In Ontario, carriers are required to obtain the Commercial Vehicle Operator Registration (CVOR). A copy of the CVOR registration is required to be carried in vehicle(s) operating in Ontario under the certificate. In Quebec, carriers are required to register in Quebec’s Owners and Operators of Heavy Vehicles Registry. Carriers registered in Quebec’s registry are issued a Registration Identification Number (RIN) certificate, which also must be carried in the vehicle(s) during operation.
U.S.-based passenger vehicle operators must obtain operating authority from the intended province(s) of travel. More information is available in the provincial topic areas.