Qualification and registration
Contents
- Practitioners who must be registered
- Building Code examinations
- Registration
- New QuARTS - online qualification and registration tracking system for building practitioners
- Building Code training
- 2019 registration fees
- Resources in this section
Practitioners who must be registered
The Building Code Act, 1992 requires that the following individuals and firms responsible for activities regulated under the act be qualified and registered with the ministry:
- building officials (chief building officials, supervisors, managers, plans examiners and inspectors, including on-site sewage system inspectors and fire protection inspectors)
- certain classes of designers
- on-site sewage system installers
- registered code agencies: private companies hired by municipalities to conduct inspections
Registration and examination programs are available by type of practitioner: building officials, designers, on-site sewage system installers and registered code agencies. Please contact the ministry at OBC.Qualification@ontario.ca to obtain a copy.
Building Code examinations
To register with the ministry, individuals must successfully complete the examination programs for their areas of practice. This involves passing one or more examinations. The ministry writes and updates examination questions. Humber College delivers the exams through virtual online proctoring and in test centres across the province. Registration is also done through Humber College.
To register for an exam, you require a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) from the ministry. If you don’t have one, apply for a BCIN here. The steps are outlined in How to apply for a BCIN. For those with no internet access, please submit a BCIN application form by mail.
To prepare for exams, candidates are advised to review the 2012 examination syllabi. Prepared by the ministry, the syllabus for each exam lists the parts of the Building Code Act, 1992 and the Building Code that will be covered.
As soon as marks are available from Humber, building practitioners receive an automatic email that the results have been posted in QuARTS, the online qualification and registration tracking system for building practitioners. The email is generated by QuARTS, so please keep your contact information up-to-date.
There is also a process for examination appeals. The ministry considers appeals requested on the basis of the accuracy, clarity and applicability of exam questions. Humber College handles appeals on the examination process. All appeal requests go through the college.
The ministry respects your privacy. Personal information that you provide to the ministry is collected pursuant to section 15.11 of the Building Code Act, 1992 and Part 3 of Division C of the Building Code for the purpose of administering and enforcing the Building Code examination program administered by the ministry. Your personal information may be disclosed by the ministry to Humber College, which operates the Building Code examinations, for the purposes of administering and enforcing the Building Code examination program. It will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). If you have any questions, please refer to FIPPA or contact the Manager of Building Code Operations and Technical Support, Building and Development Branch, 12th Floor, 777 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 2E5 or call (416) 585-6666.
Registration
Practitioners who are subject to Building Code qualification requirements must register with the ministry and pay an annual fee. Annual registration applies to:
- building officials
- certain classes of designers
- on-site sewage system installers
- registered code agencies
Registration is done through the Qualification and Registration Tracking System (QuARTS), and registered practitioners are listed on a public registry.
The requirement to register annually took effect on January 1, 2015, as a result of Building Code amendments filed in December 2013.
The only exception, initially, is for OSS installer firms. Prior to January 1, 2015, OSS installer firms had three-year registrations. Some of these registrations will only expire in 2016 and 2017, at which point the firms will have to register every year like other practitioners.
Another change that took effect on January 1, 2015 was the requirement for designer firms and RCAs to use the ministry’s standard insurance form to show proof of insurance. Designer firms should upload the form as part of their online registrations or submit it with their paper applications. RCAs must submit the form with their applications.
New QuARTS
On October 26, 2015, the ministry launched a new Qualification and Registration Tracking System (QuARTS). With this new system, all transactions (including initial registrations and renewals) can be done online and paid for by credit card or debit. Other new features include:
- automatic emails when the ministry has received your application and completed your transaction
- 60-day renewal notice by email
- email notification after expiry
- for building officials, the ability to pay online with payment codes assigned to their principal authorities
- for designer firms, the ability to upload insurance forms rather than send them separately by email
Most online transactions will be completed in minutes. If, however, you have accommodation needs or difficulties with doing online transactions, the ministry will process a paper application. Paper transactions may take up to three weeks to process Registration forms are available upon request. Please call the Qualification and Registration Unit at 416-585-6666 (select 2).
How to access the new QuARTS
- Before you can access the new QuARTS, you must register for ONe-key, a secure online portal to a range of government services and programs. This will be your entry into the new QuARTS from this point onwards. Registering for ONe-key easy and free. The steps are outlined in How to Register for ONe-key.
- After you have registered for ONe-key, find QuARTS in the list of available services and follow that link. If you are asked to answer a “challenging” question, please proceed or, if you cannot answer the question, initiate a service request, and a certification analyst will get back to you promptly. Alternatively, you will be asked for an enrolment ID and PIN. Users with current email addresses in the old QuARTS were sent these credentials in late October. These credentials, however, have since expired. To get a new ID and PIN, call us at 416-585-6666 and select “2” at the prompt to speak with a certification analyst. Alternatively, send an email request to OBC.Qualification@ontario.ca. Please write “Require a new enrolment ID and PIN” in the subject line and include your contact information and BCIN in the body of the email.
As a best practice for registered firms, access to QuARTS should be restricted to one individual, preferably the principal of the firm, a partner or officer. If your firm has staff, and more than one individual requires access to your QuARTS registration, each person will require a separate ONe-key account. The ministry has prepared best practices to help guide your use of ONe-key and QuARTS.
Public registry
The ministry designed a new public registry when it built the new QuARTS. The new design makes it easy to view the information on a mobile device. You can access the public registry directly or through QuARTS, when you have logged in through ONe-key
Building Code training
To help ensure that construction in our communities is safe and efficient, municipal building officials, builders, design professionals and other Building Code users require a high level of expertise and knowledge of the Building Code. Those involved in enforcing the Building Code Act, 1992 and Building Code, as well as people involved in the design and supervision of construction, must also keep up-to-date on the Building Code and understand its current requirements.
By agreement with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Building Code training is developed by George Brown College. The college is responsible for updating, developing and delivering training courses and self-study manuals for the 2012 Building Code. George Brown College partners with other colleges and groups to ensure that training services can be delivered close to where you live.
Although not mandatory, these training opportunities support individuals who wish to take Building Code examinations. The successful completion of specific exams is required to become qualified and registered under the Building Code Act, 1992. Building Code training also supports professional development in the building sector.
2019 Registration fees
Practitioners |
Transaction |
Fee |
Registrations for all Building Officials |
Initial Registration/Reinstatement |
$114 |
Registrations for all Building Officials |
Annual Renewal |
$114 |
Registrations for Designers or Design Firms |
Initial Registration/Reinstatement |
$181 |
Registrations for Designers or Design Firms |
Annual Renewal |
$136 |
Registrations for Designers or Design Firms |
Updating class of registration |
$39 |
Registrations for Other Designers |
Initial Registration/Reinstatement |
$114 |
Registrations for Other Designers |
Annual Renewal |
$114 |
Registrations for On-Site Sewage System Installers |
Initial Registration/Reinstatement |
$114 |
Registrations for On-Site Sewage System Installers |
Annual Renewal |
$114 |
Registrations for Registered Code Agencies |
Initial Registration/Reinstatement |
$430 |
Registrations for Registered Code Agencies |
Annual Renewal |
$317 |
Registrations for Registered Code Agencies |
Updating class of registration |
$73 |
Resources in this section