Tow Truck Owners

Sole proprietorships (individuals), partnerships or corporations.

Identification Requirements

Two pieces of government-issued identification from ALL directors/officers on the Corporation (one must be photo ID):

• Canadian Passport
• Driver’s Licence
• Canadian Birth Certificate
• Citizenship Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• SIN Card (Social Insurance Number)
• Valid Work Permit

Note:

• First and last names must match on all identification
• We do not accept Health Cards
• For sole proprietorship or individual applicants, one piece of ID must provide proof of work status.
• Identification is required for all officers/directors listed on the Articles of Incorporation, Corporate Profile or Federal Form 6

Business Requirements

All applicants must also provide the following:

• a business address;
• a copy of provincial business name registration;

Corporations must also provide:

• a copy of Articles of Incorporation (Note: If there has been a change to the list of officers and directors, please also provide a current Corporate Profile Report or a Federal Form 6)
• the Annual Return for Corporation Form which lists all current directors & officers of the Corporation. This must be:
  • original as copies will not be accepted
  • signed by an officer/director of the Corporation. The Form cannot be signed by a designate of the Corporation

If a director of the corporation is unable to apply in person at the Licence & Permit Issuing Office, a designate may apply on their behalf. The designate must:

• have an original letter advising of their signing authority on corporation letterhead, signed by a director of the corporation dated within 30 days
• provide two pieces of identification for themselves
• provide two pieces of identification for each officer and director of the corporation

Note: The designate will not be able to sign the Tow Truck Acknowledgment Form or the Annual Return Form.

Criminal Record & Judicial Matters Check

Applicants must provide an original Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check issued by a Canadian Police Service within 280 days prior to the application.

A designate applying on behalf of a corporation must also provide a Criminal Record & Judicial Matters Check for each officer and director of the Corporation.

Tow Truck Acknowledgment Form

All tow truck operators must sign a Tow Truck Acknowledgment Form which includes:

• Towing Services and Billing Consent
• Zoning Bylaws

This form MUST be signed by one of the officers or directors of the company.

Provincial Driver’s Licence

Applicants who will also drive the tow truck must present a valid provincial driver’s licence.

Insurance Requirements

Applicants must provide proof of

• $100,000 in Legal Liability insurance for damage to customers’ vehicles while in the care, custody or control
• $50,000 in Cargo insurance
• $2,000,000 in Personal Liability and Personal Damage (PLPD) insurance.

The completed insurance form must be signed and stamped by the insurer.

Schedule of Rates

A schedule of rates is to be filed at the East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave. The schedule of rates should list maximum charges for specific towing services. Towing rates set by the City do not need to be filed.

A schedule of rates must be re-filed when any changes occur or when upon renewal of a licence. The list of rates will only be accepted on the approved City of Toronto form can only be signed by a director of the Corporation.

Vehicle Ownership

An original copy of the provincial vehicle registration, where the name and address match the applicant’s.

If the applicant is a partnership or corporation, the vehicle ownership must be registered to the partnership or corporation.

Vehicle Requirements

Painted with Contrasting Colours on Both Sides of Vehicle

Client’s Name: 10 cm. (approx. 4 inches) in height
Licence Number: 6.3 cm. (approx. 2.5 inches) in height
Plate Number: 15 cm. (approx. 6 inches) in height

Run Sheet

The run sheet which tow truck drivers will use to record their tows must be approved by City staff.

It must include:

• The name of the licensee and business address
• Operating name
• A description of the vehicle towed including its provincial motor vehicle permit number, the rate charged and the total charge collected
• Excerpt from bylaw Chapter 545

Annual Inspection Certificate/Safety Standards Certificate

An Annual Inspection Certificate that has been completed within the last 12 months must be provided. If the Annual Inspection Certificate is over 36 days old, a valid Safety Standards Certificate issued by an approved Ministry of Transportation Vehicle Inspection Centre, not be more than 36 days old, must also be submitted.

Provincial Driver’s Licence & Driving Record Abstract

Sole Proprietors are required to provide a valid provincial driver’s licence and driving record abstract: a three year driving history recorded by the Ministry of Transportation. This must be less than 30 days old.

This record, along with other documents submitted, will determine whether there are concerns with the applicant obtaining a licence.

Applications for new tow truck licences need to be submitted online. You cannot apply for these licences in-person.

Apply online

Save yourself time and apply online. Please have all required documents ready to upload before starting the application, as it requires 10-15 minutes to complete and cannot be saved. Download a step by step guide on how to submit a new application. Licence application fees can be paid online or by sending a cheque.

Submit Application

If you have already submitted an application you may upload additional documents using your upload token.

Upload Documents for Existing Request

Picking up or dropping off plates

If you need to pick up or drop off plates in-person, you must book an appointment at the Licence and Permit Issuing Office, 850 Coxwell Avenue, 3rd Floor. Walk-ins will not be accepted. You must be the owner or custodian of the plate.

Book Appointment

Please arrive 10-15 mins early to check in and be on time for your appointment or you may be turned away and asked to re-book for another day and time, subject to availability.

A photo of the applicant must be submitted with all other required application documents. It is essential that the photo provided complies with the Licence Application Photo Requirements. Failure to do so may result in delayed or rejected applications.

$1,301.62

ML&S shall deny an application for, or a renewal for any business, trade or calling for which a vehicle and it’s driver are licenced or required to be licenced by the City under this Chapter and for which a licencesee is required to hold a valid provincial driver’s licence under this Chapter where the licensee or applicant has:

1. 1. Been convicted at any time of a sexual offence against a minor or a person with a disability under any of sections 151 to 153.1 of the Criminal Code;
   2. Been convicted of any sexual offence under the Criminal Code in the preceding ten years;
   3. Been convicted of an offence under the following Criminal Code sections in the preceding five years:
      1. 84 to 117.15 (Firearms and Other Weapons);
      2. 264.1 to 286.1 (Offences Against the Person);
      3. 321 to 378 (Offences Against Rights of Property);
      4. 379 to 462 (Fraudulent Transactions, Wilful and Forbidden Acts of Certain Property, Offences Relating to Currency);
      5. 462.3 to 462.5 (Proceeds of Crime).
   4. Been convicted at any time of an offence under the following Criminal Code sections:
      1. 83.01 to 83.33 (Terrorism);
      2. 219 to 248 (Major Offences Against the Person);
      3. 267, 268, 270.01, 272, 273 (Major Assaults or Major Sexual Assaults).
   5. Been convicted of an offence under the following Controlled Drugs and Substances Act sections in the preceding ten years:
      1. 5 (Trafficking);
      2. 6 (Importing and exporting);
      3. 7 (Production);
      4. 7.1 (Possession for use in production or trafficking).
   6. Been convicted of any offence under section 4 (Possession or obtaining) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in the preceding five years;
   7. Been convicted of five or more offences under Chapter 545 or 546 of the Toronto Municipal Code in the preceding three years;
   8. Any overdue by-law fines, unless the applicant provides proof that such fines have been subsequently paid.
   9. Been convicted of any offence under sections 249, 252, or 253 of the Criminal Code (Motor Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft) in the preceding five years;
   10. Accumulated nine or more demerit points on his or her driving record abstract at the time the application for a licence or renewal is made;
       2 September 6, 2017
   11. Been convicted of any of the following offences under the Highway Traffic Act in the preceding five years:
       1. Careless driving;
       2. Racing or stunt driving;
       3. Exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/hour or more;
       4. Failing to stop for a school bus or when signaled or asked by a police officer;
       5. Failing to remain at the scene of a collision;
       6. Driving while licence suspended.

Despite these screening criteria, if a licence has been previously issued or renewed and the applicant’s or licensee’s record discloses no new breach of the screening criteria, the licence may be issued or renewed without the matter being referred to the Toronto Licensing Tribunal.

These screening criteria do not apply to any offence for which a licensee or applicant has been granted a criminal record suspension (i.e. a pardon) by the Parole Board of Canada.

Your licence will expire annually on the anniversary of the date that the licence was first issued. A renewal notice, identifying any documents required to renew the licence, will be mailed to the address on file.

The renewal fee is $865.80

Existing licensees must renew their licences online. Licence renewal fees can be paid online or by sending a cheque.

Please have all required documents ready to upload before starting the renewal, as it requires 10-15 minutes to complete and cannot be saved. Download a step by step guide on how to renew a licence or permit.

Renew Licence

Find your outstanding business licence or permit renewal invoice.

If you fail to renew your licence according to the bylaw, your licence will be cancelled and you will have to reapply.

Renewal Forms:

• Criminal Record & Judicial Matters Check
• Annual Return for Corporation
• Certificate of Insurance
• Safety Standards Certificate
• Schedule of Rates
• Photo

To register a replacement vehicle the following documents can be submitted through our online renewal portal:

• Provincial Vehicle Ownership
• Annual Inspection Certificate (AIC). Must be dated within 12 months from the date of submission. If over 36 days, a Standard Safety
• Certificate (SSC) must also accompany the AIC.
• Certificate of Insurance can be emailed to mlstaxilimo@toronto.ca