The Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO) recently highlighted key advocacy achievements featured in the province’s 2024 Burden Reduction Report

“The MVRO is proud to contribute ideas that help Premier Doug Ford, and Mike Harris, Minister of Red Tape Reduction, help car buyers and auto retailers save time and money,” said Frank Notte, MVRO’s Director of Government Relations. “They understand that a strong auto retail sector drives economic growth and provides thousands of well-paying careers at new car and truck dealerships.”

• The Burden Reduction Report highlights include: The success and constant upgrades to the Digital Dealer Registration program. Auto retailers are now able to provide vehicle registration, permits and licence plates online from their dealership—eliminating the need to visit Service Ontario in person. To date, over 24,000 transactions have been completed using DDR, with participating dealerships reporting a savings of at least four hours per month.Amendments to modernize the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act by: Extending the time for retailers to provide warranty documents and payments to warranty sellers from seven days to thirty days, reflecting typical billing cycles
• Using a simplified Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP) disclosure requirement in sales contracts, making things simpler for dealers and salespersons while maintaining important consumer disclosures:
• Removing the requirement for retailers and salespersons to return their registration certificate when they are no longer registered, since OMVIC now provides registrant certificates electronically.
• Becoming the first jurisdiction in North America to provide automatic vehicle permit renewals. Licence plates for passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks will automatically renew 90 days before expiry. This will save approximately four million vehicle owners over one million hours, worth an estimated $40 million per year and approximately 264,000 impacted businesses 219,000 hours, worth an estimated $7.54 million per year.
• Supporting the next generation of auto technicians by redesigning the Ontario Tool Grant’s digital eligibility notice for apprentices. The new, simplified, personalized eligibility notice provides clear information about the grant and application process. The Tools Grant is a non-repayable, taxable cash grant that helps Ontario apprentices cover the cost of trades-related tools and equipment. The grant is $1,000 for motive power trades.

“The 2024 Burden Reduction Report reinforces Premier Ford, and his government are serious about eliminating outdated administrative burdens. These meaningful and impactful measures help auto retailers and consumers save two important commodities—time and money,” said Notte.