By-laws are municipal laws passed or amended by Council.
Use the by-law status registry to search for by-laws. Many by-laws are scanned and can be seen online. Some are only available at the Archives. If you cannot find the by-law you are looking for in the registry, please contact the Archives.
Some by-laws that were passed by the former municipalities before the 1998 amalgamation are still in force. You can read more about them below.
Links in the descriptions below take you to the Archives’ online database, where you can learn more about the municipal governments that passed these by-laws.
For more information about by-laws and the municipal code, visit the Municipal Code and by-laws index page.
Archives’ staff can only provide copies of by-laws and are unable to interpret or explain them. For information regarding zoning by-laws, please contact Toronto Building Customer Service.
City of Toronto 1998-
Toronto by-laws since 1998 are not held at the Archives. These by-laws can be found online in the City’s By-Law Status Registry.
Former City of Toronto 1834-1997
Metropolitan Toronto 1953-1997
Series 899; Metro Toronto by-laws, 1953-1997
- Many Metro Toronto By-Laws can be found online in the City’s By-Law Status Registry.
- 1953 to 1969: by-laws are numbered in one continuous series.
- 1970 to 1997: by-laws are numbered by year.
- Printed copies are found in Appendix B of the bound council minutes, which are indexed and available in the Research Hall at the Archives.
- Amending or repealing by-laws are noted on the original by-law.
East York 1924-1997
Series 681; East York by-laws, 1924-1997
- Many East York By-Laws can be found online in the City’s By-Law Status Registry.
- 1924 to 1966: by-laws are numbered in one continuous series.
- 1967 to 1977: by-laws are numbered in a new continuous series.
- 1978 to 1997: by-laws are numbered by year.
- Amending or repealing by-laws are noted on the original by-law.
- Borough by-laws (1967 to 1997) are indexed by subject. There is a selected numeric index from 1924 onward. See the East York By-laws binder in the Research Hall at the Archives.
- By-laws are also available for Leaside (1913-1966).
Etobicoke 1850-1997
Series 657; Etobicoke by-laws, 1876-1997
- Etobicoke By-Laws can be found online in the City’s By-Law Status Registry.
- 1857 to 1875: by-laws passed in these years are found in the Council Minutes and in a chronological / numerical listing found in the Research Hall at the Archives.
- 1876 to1960: by-laws are numbered in one continuous series.
- 1967 to1977: by-laws are numbered in a new continuous series.
- 1978 to June 1983: by-laws are numbered by year.
- July 1983 to 1997: by-laws are numbered by year.
- Etobicoke by-laws from 1876 to 1975 are available on microfilm in the Research Hall.
- Chronological, numerical, subject, and street name indices covering many of Etobicoke’s by-laws are available in the Research Hall.
- Amending or repealing by-laws are noted on the original by-law.
- By-laws also available for:
North York 1922-1997
Series 1131; North York by-laws, 1922-1997
- North York By-Laws can be found online in the City’s By-Law Status Registry.
- 1922 to 1997: by-laws are numbered in one continuous series.
- There are subject and numeric indexes for the by-laws in the Research Hall at the Archives.
- Amending or repealing bylaws are noted on the original by-law.
Scarborough 1850-1997
Series 672; Scarborough by-laws, 1850-1997
- Many Scarborough By-Laws can be found online in the City’s By-Law Status Registry.
- Scarborough by-laws are numbered in one continuous series.
- Scarborough by-laws from 1850 to 1997 are available on microfiche in the Research Hall.
- There is a bound subject index to the by-laws from 1850 to 1972, but it is not comprehensive. Contact the Archives for assistance.
- Council minutes (see Series 647) also contain copies of by-laws.
- 1958 to 1989: the by-law appendices are indexed by subject.
- Amending and repealing by-laws ARE NOT noted on the original by-laws.
York 1850-1997
Series 668; York by-laws, 1850-1997
- 1850-1966: by-laws are numbered in one continuous series.
- 1967-June 1983: by-laws are numbered in a new continuous series.
- July 1983-1997: by-laws are numbered in a new continuous series.
- There are three printed indices covering the years 1850 to ca. 1981 relating to both York and Weston by-laws, located in the Research Hall at the Archives. For indexing after 1981 see the York Municipal Code or contact the Archives for assistance.
- By-laws are also available for Weston (1882-1966).
