Safety standards certificate (Ontario)

A buyer of a used-vehicle dealership or a fleet meets this when looking at how inventory is prepared for sale. This entry covers Ontario only; check the rules where the vehicles are registered. For the wider picture, see the guide on licensing and property transfers in an automotive sale.

What Ontario says

• The Ontario government says you can buy and register a vehicle without a certificate but cannot put plates on it without one.
• It says a certificate is needed when registering a rebuilt vehicle, transferring a used vehicle to a new owner (unless the new owner is a spouse), registering a vehicle bought in or brought from another province, territory or country, and changing a vehicle from unfit to fit. It lists exemptions, including used motorized snow vehicles, off-road vehicles, mopeds and trailers.
• The inspection must pass at a DriveON Vehicle Inspection Centre licensed by the Ministry of Transportation.
• The government says a certificate is valid for 36 calendar days after the inspection. O. Reg. 172/22 says a fit permit shall not be issued for a used motor vehicle unless a certificate was issued on an inspection completed within the preceding 36 days (s. 2.0.1(2)), subject to the exceptions in s. 2.0.1(3), which include an applicant who is a motor vehicle dealer registered under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, other than a broker.

What to ask

Ask the seller how certificates are handled for inventory on the lot, and ask who carries the cost of inspection and repairs. See also the used vehicle information package, a separate document.