Changes to the Drive Clean Program

As of April 1, 2017, the following changes to the Drive Clean program take effect:

• Owners of light-duty vehicles no longer have to pay $30 for their first Drive Clean emissions test to renew their registration
• An emissions test is no longer required when selling a light-duty vehicle.
• Only direct repair costs can be counted towards the Repair Cost Limit and vehicles can no longer receive consecutive conditional passes. These changes will ensure that vehicles are repaired on a timely basis.

Although a test at resale is no longer required, as a prospective vehicle buyer you are encouraged to ask the seller or the dealer to perform a Drive Clean emissions test and provide you with the results before making a purchase. In addition, if you are buying a vehicle 7 years or older, you can check its emissions testing history on www.driveclean.com/testhistory. You will need the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or the current licence plate to run this free search.

Beware of a vehicle that has a ‘conditional pass’ for its most recent test result. A conditional pass indicates that a vehicle had emissions issues and was partially repaired. Please speak to your mechanic to ensure that all required repairs have been completed since the conditional pass was issued or to determine what the outstanding repairs are and how much they would cost. Remember: A vehicle that has received a conditional pass on or after April 1, 2017 will not be eligible for a consecutive conditional pass during the next testing cycle and will require full repairs.

By taking these steps you will be making sure that you make an informed purchasing decision and avoid potentially costly repairs down the road.

It is important to remember that you’re only protected when you buy a vehicle from an OMVIC-Registered Dealer, so take extra care when buying privately. Click here for tips when buying privately. 

To learn more about what’s new with drive clean click here.

OMVIC Protects Car Buyers in Ontario

As the regulator of motor vehicle sales in Ontario, OMVIC protects the rights of consumers and maintains a fair and informed marketplace by:

• Maintaining strict registration requirements for Ontario’s dealerships and salespeople
• Regularly inspecting all Ontario dealers (new and used)
• Providing free conciliation services for consumers
• Developing/ delivering consumer and dealer education/ awareness programs
• Investigating and prosecuting industry non-compliance and illegal sales (curbsiding)