Ontario Requires Proof of Work Eligibility for Commercial Licences
An April 2026 regulation required applicants for Ontario Class A to F licences to prove they could legally work in Canada.
In April 2026, Ontario filed the regulation that set which driver's licence classes would require proof of the legal right to work in Canada. Ontario Regulation 109/26 was made on April 16, filed on April 17 and came into force on filing. It was published in The Ontario Gazette on May 2, 2026.
The power behind it
The regulation used a power added to the Highway Traffic Act by Schedule 5 of the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, introduced as Bill 60. The act received royal assent on November 27, 2025, and Schedule 5 came into force that day.
The new section 5.5 of the Highway Traffic Act let the Minister require applicants for a licence, permit or certificate, including at renewal or when making a change, to provide satisfactory evidence that:
- they are a resident of Ontario;
- their presence in Canada is legal; and
- for a prescribed licence class or vehicle class, they are legally able to work in Canada as a holder of that licence and as a driver of that vehicle.
The work requirement applied only to classes set by regulation. That was the gap O. Reg. 109/26 filled.
Which licences were covered
The regulation added section 12.0.2 to Ontario Regulation 340/94, the drivers' licences regulation. It prescribed Class A, B, C, D, E and F licences for the work-eligibility requirement. These are Ontario's commercial classes, which include tractor-trailers and heavy trucks.
There was one exception. A Class D licence issued with the recreational vehicle restriction was not covered, so a person seeking a Class D only to drive a heavy RV would not need to show work eligibility.
The section also stated that it "applies despite the Human Rights Code."
How it was to work at the counter
Ontario's truck licence guidance gave May 11, 2026, as the date from which applicants for a Class A, B, C, D, E or F licence would need documents showing Ontario was their primary place of residence, that their presence in Canada was legal, and that they were eligible to work in Canada. The guidance said people with temporary legal status might need to provide more documents when renewing a commercial licence.
Other licensing changes
Separately, Ontario's guidance said that from January 1, 2027, drivers taking the Class A road test would need to have held a Class G or higher licence for at least six months. Entry-level training remained mandatory before a Class A road test.
Schedule 9 of the same act amended the Photo Card Act, 2008. It let the Minister require proof of Ontario residency and legal presence for photo cards, but not proof of work eligibility.
Archive: this article describes rules and events as of April 2026. Regulations may have changed since, so check the current rule before relying on it.