Vehicle Inspection Requirements

Toronto Municipal Code Chapters 545 and 546, require all tow truck, driving school, taxicab, limousine and private transportation company (e.g. Uber and Lyft) vehicles to pass mechanical inspections as a condition of licensing.

Learn more about applying for a taxicab owner licence.

What is a Safety Standards Certificate or Annual Inspection Certificate?

A Safety Standard Certificate (SSC) or an Annual Inspection Certificate (AIC) for accessible vehicles is issued following a mechanical inspection by a Motor Vehicle Inspection Station (MVIS) garage operator licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

SSCs and AICs are only valid when issued by a provincially licensed MVIS garage operator. SSCs and AICs cannot be more than 36 days old at time of submission to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office.

For more information, please visit the Ministry of Transportation’s webpage on commercial vehicle safety requirements.

How do I submit my SSC or AIC?

  1. Submit your document online
  2. Submit a copy of your Safety Standard Certificate(SSC) or Annual Inspection Certificate (AIC) through our Licence Management and Renewal portal. Please indicate in the notes field your MLS Plate Number/Business Licence Number. Staff will contact you if there are any issues with your submission.
  3. Bring an original copy to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office at the East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Avenue.

Additional requirements:

  1. SSC or AIC needs to be submitted once a year.
  2. Valid SSC or AIC cannot be more than 36 days old at time of submission to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office. SSC or AIC may be submitted up to 30 days before the submission date.
  3. All SSCs and AICs (hard copy) are to be kept in vehicle and produced upon request.

When do I submit my SSC or AIC?

Find your submission date:

Toronto Taxicab Licence (TTL) Taxicab Vehicle Inspections
Standard Taxicab Vehicle Inspections

For accessible vehicles: AICs are required for D409 compliant vehicles along with SSCs.

What happens if I do not submit my SSC or AIC?

Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 546-15 (C) gives Municipal Licensing and Standards (ML&S) the authority to suspend the licence of a vehicle if SSC or AIC is not provided within seven days of the “Next Submission Date” when an inspection has been required.

Maximum age of vehicles

On October 12, 2023, City Council approved extending vehicle-for-hire vehicles due for replacement by March 31, 2024 by one additional year. These vehicles are now required to be replaced by March 31, 2025. On October 12, 2023, City Council also approved an exemption for zero-emission vehicles used as vehicles-for-hire from vehicle age limits. These vehicles are not required to be replaced by a specific time. These measures are to support vehicles-for-hire achieve City Council’s net zero by 2030 goal for the industry. Learn more about when vehicles-for-hire have to be replaced.

Vehicle owners are required to submit annual mechanical safety inspection certificates and comply with all safety and maintenance requirements in the bylaw to ensure that vehicles continue to be safe.

Restrictions for vehicles used as taxicabs

The vehicle:

  • cannot be a former police vehicle or a taxicab from another jurisdiction
  • must have the taxicab plate affixed to the right side of the rear bumper
  • must be an accessible vehicle for taxicabs with TTL plates
  • must have four doors
  • cannot be currently attached to a Private Transportation Company (PTC) licence
  • must be equipped with winter tires from December 1 to April 30

Learn more about applying for a limousine owner licence.

What is a Safety Standards Certificate or Annual Inspection Certificate?

A Safety Standard Certificate (SSC) or an Annual Inspection Certificate (AIC) for accessible vehicles is issued following a mechanical inspection by a Motor Vehicle Inspection Station (MVIS) garage operator licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

SSCs and AICs are only valid when issued by a provincially licensed MVIS garage operator. SSCs and AICs cannot be more than 36 days old at time of submission to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office.

For more information, please visit the Ministry of Transportation’s webpage on commercial vehicle safety requirements.

How do I submit my SSC or AIC?

  1. Submit your document online
  2. Submit a copy of your Safety Standard Certificate(SSC) or Annual Inspection Certificate (AIC) through our Licence Management and Renewal portal. Please indicate in the notes field your MLS Plate Number/Business Licence Number. Staff will contact you if there are any issues with your submission.
  3. Bring an original copy to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office at the East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Avenue.

Additional requirements:

  1. SSC or AIC needs to be submitted once a year.
  2. Valid SSC or AIC cannot be more than 36 days old at time of submission to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office. SSC or AIC may be submitted up to 30 days before the submission date.
  3. All SSCs and AICs (hard copy) are to be kept in vehicle and produced upon request.

When do I submit my SSC or AIC?

Find your submission date:

Limousine Vehicle Inspections

What happens if I do not submit my SSC or AIC?

Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 546-15 (C) gives Municipal Licensing and Standards (ML&S) the authority to suspend the licence of a vehicle if SSC or AIC is not provided within seven days of the “Next Submission Date” when an inspection has been required.

Maximum age of vehicles

On October 12, 2023, City Council approved extending vehicle-for-hire vehicles due for replacement by March 31, 2024 by one additional year. These vehicles are now required to be replaced by March 31, 2025. On October 12, 2023, City Council also approved an exemption for zero-emission vehicles used as vehicles-for-hire from vehicle age limits. These vehicles are not required to be replaced by a specific time. These measures are to support vehicles-for-hire achieve City Council’s net zero by 2030 goal for the industry. Learn more about when vehicles-for-hire have to be replaced.

Vehicle owners are required to submit annual mechanical safety inspection certificates and comply with all safety and maintenance requirements in the bylaw to ensure that vehicles continue to be safe.

Restrictions for vehicles used as limousines

The vehicles:

  • cannot be branded as rebuilt
  • must have the limousine plate affixed to the front grill
  • must be equipped with winter tires from December 1 to April 30

Learn more about applying for a private transportation company licence.

What is a Safety Standards Certificate or Annual Inspection Certificate?

Private Transportation Companies (PTC), such as Uber and Lyft, are responsible for submitting valid Safety Standard Certificates (SSC) or Annual Inspection Certificates (AIC) on behalf of PTC drivers.

Additional requirements:

  1. SSC and AIC needs to be submitted once a year.
  2. Valid SSC and AIC cannot be more than 36 days old at time of submission to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office. SSC or AIC may be submitted up to 30 days before the submission date.
  3. All SSCs and AICs (hard copy) are to be kept in vehicle and produced upon request.

For more information, please visit the Ministry of Transportation’s webpage on commercial vehicle safety requirements.

What happens if SSC or AIC is not submitted?

Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 546-15 (C) gives Municipal Licensing and Standards (ML&S) the authority to suspend the licence of a vehicle if SSC or AIC is not provided within seven days of the “Next Submission Date” when an inspection has been required.

Maximum age of vehicles

On October 12, 2023, City Council approved extending vehicle-for-hire vehicles due for replacement by March 31, 2024 by one additional year. These vehicles are now required to be replaced by March 31, 2025. On October 12, 2023, City Council also approved an exemption for zero-emission vehicles used as vehicles-for-hire from vehicle age limits. These vehicles are not required to be replaced by a specific time. These measures are to support vehicles-for-hire achieve City Council’s net zero by 2030 goal for the industry. Learn more about when vehicles-for-hire have to be replaced.

Vehicle owners are required to submit annual mechanical safety inspection certificates and comply with all safety and maintenance requirements in the bylaw to ensure that vehicles continue to be safe.

Learn more about applying for a driving school operator or instructor licence.

What is a Safety Standards Certificate (SSC)?

A Safety Standard Certificate (SSC) is issued following a mechanical inspection by a Motor Vehicle Inspection Station (MVIS) garage operator licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
SSCs are only valid when issued by a provincially licensed MVIS garage operator and the SSCs cannot be more than 36 days old at time of submission to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office. For more information, please visit the Ministry of Transportation’s webpage on commercial vehicle safety requirements.

How do I submit my SSC?

Driving school vehicle owners are required to submit an original valid SSC at time of licence renewal. This can be submitted online.

Additional Requirements:

  1. Valid SSC cannot be more than 36 days old at time of submission to the Licence and Permit Issuing Office.
  2. All SSCs (hard copy) are to be kept in vehicle and produced upon request.

What happens if I do not submit my SSC?

Licence renewal will not be granted if a SSC is not submitted.