OMVIC CPD 2026: What Ontario Dealers Need to Know About Mandatory Continuing Professional Development
TLDR: Ontario’s mandatory Continuing Professional Development program launches April 1, 2026, and registrants who do not complete it before their renewal date will lose their license with zero grace period.
- CPD is required for all 38,000+ OMVIC-registered dealers and salespersons – the program is 4-6 hours, online, self-paced, costs $99, and requires an 80% pass grade with unlimited retakes
- Dealers must complete CPD annually; salespersons every two years – CPD becomes mandatory for all renewals on or after July 1, 2026
- Registrants grandfathered before January 1, 2010 must first complete the Georgian College MVDA Key Elements Course ($202.86, 60-minute test) before they can start CPD
- Ontario is the first Canadian province to mandate ongoing continuing education for automotive professionals – no other province currently has a comparable requirement
- Year one content covers OMVIC’s mandate, MVDA compliance, ethics, all-in pricing, mandatory disclosure, and advertising standards, with future years expanding to financing and fraud prevention
- Start planning now: identify all registered staff and renewal dates, budget $99 per person per cycle, and build a completion buffer of two to three weeks before each deadline
On January 1, 2026, a legislative amendment to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act (MVDA) quietly took effect that will reshape how Ontario’s automotive retail industry operates. Starting April 1, 2026, OMVIC will launch a mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program. By July 1, every registrant renewing their license must have completed it.
There is no grace period. There is no discretion. OMVIC CEO Maureen Harquail has been blunt: “If you don’t do your CPD, you don’t get to renew your license, and OMVIC has no discretion.”
For an industry that employs over 8,000 registered dealers and 30,000 registered salespeople in Ontario alone, the operational implications are significant. This post breaks down the program’s structure, costs, timelines, who is affected, and what dealers should be doing right now to prepare.
The Timeline: Three Dates That Matter
The rollout follows a three-stage sequence. Each date carries hard deadlines.
January 1, 2026 – The legislative amendment enabling OMVIC to require CPD as a condition of registration renewal took effect. This is the legal foundation. The MVDA now grants OMVIC the authority to deny renewal to any registrant who has not completed the required continuing education.
April 1, 2026 – The CPD program officially launches. Courses become available through OMVIC’s online portal. Registrants can begin completing their modules immediately.
July 1, 2026 – CPD becomes mandatory for all registrants renewing on or after this date. If your renewal date falls on or after July 1 and you have not completed the CPD, your registration will expire. You will not be able to trade in motor vehicles until reinstated.
The 90-day completion window means that registrants renewing on July 1 should be starting their CPD no later than early April, when the portal opens. For those renewing later in the year, the math is straightforward: count back 90 days from your renewal date and mark that as your start-by deadline.
Program Structure and Format
OMVIC designed the CPD program to be accessible, not punitive. The format reflects that intent, even if the consequences of non-completion are severe.
Duration and Delivery
The program takes approximately 4 to 6 hours to complete. It is entirely online, modular, and self-paced. Registrants can save their progress and resume at any time, on any device. The platform is mobile-friendly, which means staff can work through modules during downtime without being tethered to a desktop.
Pass Requirements
The minimum passing grade is 80%. Registrants have unlimited attempts to achieve this threshold. That unlimited-attempt structure is important because it removes the risk of permanent failure. If someone does not pass on the first try, they can review the material and retake the assessment.
Cost
The cost is $99 per registrant, per cycle. OMVIC has described this as a cost-recovery model, meaning the fee covers the development, delivery, and administration of the program rather than generating revenue for the regulator.
Frequency
The renewal cycle differs by registration type:
- Dealers must complete CPD annually
- Salespersons must complete CPD every two years
Administrative staff who are not registered with OMVIC are exempt.
Who Must Complete CPD – And Who Faces an Extra Step
Every OMVIC-registered dealer and salesperson in Ontario must complete the CPD program. That covers over 38,000 registrants across the province.
The Grandfathered Registrant Problem
There is an additional requirement that many dealers are not yet aware of. Registrants who were grandfathered into OMVIC registration before January 1, 2010 – meaning they were never required to complete the original certification course – must now complete the MVDA Key Elements Course through Georgian College before they can proceed with the CPD.
This is a separate requirement from the CPD itself. The details:
- Provider: Georgian College
- Cost: $202.86
- Format: 60-minute test, 40 questions
- Pass grade: 80%
- Completion window: 12 weeks
- Registration: Must register at least 5 months before renewal date
For dealers with long-tenured staff who have been in the industry since before 2010, this is a planning issue that needs immediate attention. A salesperson who has been selling cars for 20 years without ever completing formal OMVIC training will now need to complete both the Georgian College course and the CPD, in sequence, before their renewal date.
Course Content: What Registrants Will Learn
The first two years of the CPD program focus on foundational regulatory knowledge. OMVIC has structured the content around the areas where non-compliance is most common and most consequential.
Year One and Two Topics
- OMVIC’s mandate and role as a regulator
- MVDA compliance obligations for dealers and salespersons
- Ethics and professionalism standards
- All-in pricing requirements and common violations
- Mandatory disclosure obligations
- Advertising standards and prohibited practices
Future Years
OMVIC has indicated that content will evolve in subsequent years to cover:
- Business office operations
- Financing practices and compliance
- Fraud prevention and detection
This progressive curriculum suggests OMVIC views CPD not as a one-time knowledge check but as an ongoing mechanism for raising industry standards. For dealers who have followed the all-in pricing enforcement actions and disclosure requirements we covered in our provincial compliance guide, much of the Year One content will be familiar territory.
Why OMVIC Introduced Mandatory CPD
The program did not emerge in a vacuum. It is the result of a multi-year process driven by external audit findings and regulatory modernization.
The Auditor General’s Recommendation
In the 2020-21 fiscal year, the Ontario Auditor General conducted a value-for-money audit of OMVIC. The audit found gaps in registrant knowledge, inconsistent compliance, and a lack of ongoing education requirements. Among its recommendations: mandatory continuing education for all registrants, aligned with standards in other regulated professions.
OMVIC’s Response
OMVIC submitted a formal CPD proposal to the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery in October 2022. The proposal outlined a cost-recovery model, modular delivery, and a phased rollout.
Legislative Authority
The 2024 amendment to the MVDA gave OMVIC the enforcement authority it needed. The amendment explicitly authorizes OMVIC to require CPD completion as a precondition for registration renewal. Without this legislative change, OMVIC could encourage training but could not mandate it.
The Broader Goals
OMVIC has articulated four objectives for the program:
- Raise professionalism across the industry by ensuring all registrants meet a minimum competency standard
- Improve compliance by reducing the knowledge gaps that lead to MVDA violations
- Strengthen consumer confidence in the vehicle buying process
- Align Ontario’s automotive industry with other regulated professions that already require continuing education (real estate, insurance, financial services)
Industry Reaction: A Mixed Response
The announcement has drawn a range of reactions from across Ontario’s dealer community.
The Resistance Factor
Dealers, by temperament and tradition, generally bristle at being told what to do. A new regulatory requirement that costs money, takes time, and carries a hard pass threshold was always going to face pushback. The sentiment from many dealer principals has been straightforward: experienced operators who have run compliant businesses for decades question why they need to prove their knowledge to a regulator.
UCDA Concerns
The Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario (UCDA) has raised several specific concerns:
- Duration: 4 to 6 hours is too long for busy dealership staff, particularly at smaller operations where every hour away from the floor has a direct revenue impact
- Cost: $99 per registrant per cycle adds up quickly across a roster of registered salespeople, and the UCDA has questioned whether the cost-recovery justification holds
- Pass rate anxiety: The 80% minimum pass grade has generated worry about fail rates, particularly among registrants who have not taken a formal test in years or decades
In response, the UCDA has begun offering in-class training alternatives designed to help registrants prepare for and pass the OMVIC CPD assessment.
OMVIC’s Road Show
OMVIC is not leaving dealers to figure this out on their own. CEO Maureen Harquail and Chief Consumer Protection Officer Jeff Donnelly have been conducting a province-wide road show of open houses, visiting dealer communities across Ontario to explain the program, answer questions, and address concerns directly. Registrants can reach the OMVIC education team at education@omvic.on.ca for information about upcoming sessions.
Ontario in Context: How CPD Compares Across Canada
Ontario is breaking new ground. No other Canadian province currently requires regulator-mandated continuing education tied to every renewal cycle for motor vehicle dealers.
Other Provincial Approaches
Alberta (AMVIC): Requires an initial certification course for new registrants but does not mandate any continuing education after initial registration. Once you pass the entry-level course, there is no ongoing training obligation.
British Columbia (VSA): No mandatory continuing education program for registered dealers or salespersons.
Quebec (OPC): No mandatory dealer continuing education requirement.
This makes Ontario the first province to treat automotive retail with the same continuing education rigor applied to real estate agents, insurance brokers, and other regulated professionals. Whether other provinces follow Ontario’s lead will likely depend on how the program performs in its first two years.
International Comparison: Where Ontario Fits
Ontario’s CPD program is not unprecedented in the North American context. Several U.S. states have required dealer continuing education for years.
| Jurisdiction | Hours Required | Frequency | Pass Threshold | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario (OMVIC) | 4-6 hours | Annually (dealers) / Every 2 years (sales) | 80% | $99 |
| California | 4 hours | Every 2 years | Varies | Varies |
| North Carolina | 6 hours | Annually | Varies | Varies |
| Georgia | 6 hours | Per renewal cycle | Varies | Varies |
Ontario’s 4-to-6-hour annual requirement for dealers is comparable to North Carolina’s 6-hour annual program. The 80% pass threshold and the $99 fixed cost are distinctive features. Most U.S. state programs allow registrants to choose from approved third-party providers at varying price points, while Ontario’s model is centralized through OMVIC’s own portal.
Other MVDA Changes Taking Effect in 2025-2026
The CPD program is not the only regulatory change Ontario dealers need to track. Several other MVDA amendments are taking effect in the same period:
January 2025: Simplified Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP) statements are now required. Dealers must provide updated disclosure language about CAMVAP to consumers.
July 2025: The timeline for providing aftermarket warranty documentation to consumers has been extended from the previous requirement to 30 days. This gives dealers more time to deliver warranty documents but also creates a longer window of potential non-compliance if processes are not updated.
Cross-appointment prohibition: Members of the OMVIC Board of Directors can no longer simultaneously serve on the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund (MVDCF) Board. This governance change is designed to eliminate potential conflicts of interest in how consumer compensation claims are adjudicated.
For a comprehensive breakdown of these and other provincial regulatory requirements, see our complete Canadian dealership compliance guide.
Eight Steps to Prepare Your Dealership
Preparation is not complicated, but it does require deliberate planning. Here is a practical checklist for dealer principals and compliance managers.
1. Identify All Registered Staff and Their Renewal Dates
Pull a complete list of every OMVIC-registered person at your dealership, including dealers and salespersons. Map each person to their renewal date. This gives you a timeline for who needs to complete CPD and when.
2. Check for Grandfathered Registrants
Identify any staff who were registered before January 1, 2010 and were never required to complete the original certification course. These individuals must complete the Georgian College MVDA Key Elements Course before they can complete the CPD. Given the 5-month advance registration requirement and 12-week completion window, this needs to happen immediately for anyone renewing in the second half of 2026.
3. Understand the 90-Day Completion Window
CPD must be completed within 90 days before your renewal date. Work backward from each registrant’s renewal date to identify their earliest start date and their must-complete-by date. Build this into your dealership’s operational calendar.
4. Budget $99 Per Person Per Cycle
For a dealership with 10 registered salespeople and a dealer principal, the annual CPD cost is approximately $1,089. For larger operations with 30 or more registered staff, the budget impact grows accordingly. Factor in the $202.86 Georgian College fee for any grandfathered registrants.
5. Schedule 4-6 Hours of Staff Time
The self-paced format means staff do not need to be pulled off the floor for an entire day. Modules can be completed in segments across multiple sessions. Consider building CPD time into slower periods or scheduling dedicated training blocks during low-traffic hours.
6. Track Completion Certificates
Maintain a compliance file for each registrant that includes their CPD completion certificate, renewal date, and any Georgian College completion records. This is your audit trail if OMVIC or internal management needs to verify compliance status.
7. Attend OMVIC Open Houses
OMVIC’s road show events with CEO Harquail and CCPO Donnelly are worth attending. These sessions provide direct access to the people running the program and an opportunity to ask questions specific to your operation. Contact education@omvic.on.ca for the schedule.
8. Plan for Zero Grace Period
This is the most important step. OMVIC has been unambiguous: there is no grace period. If a registrant’s renewal date arrives and their CPD is not complete, their registration expires automatically. They cannot trade in motor vehicles. Build a buffer into your timelines. Completing CPD two to three weeks before the renewal deadline eliminates the risk of last-minute technical issues, illness, or scheduling conflicts derailing compliance.
How READY HUB Supports Compliance Tracking
Managing CPD deadlines across an entire roster of registered staff is exactly the kind of operational tracking that falls through the cracks at busy dealerships. A salesperson whose renewal date slips past without CPD completion does not just face personal consequences – the dealership loses a producing member of the sales team until reinstatement.
READY HUB is built for this kind of process management. Tracking certification deadlines, staff compliance status, and renewal timelines alongside your other operational workflows keeps compliance visible rather than buried in a spreadsheet that no one checks until it is too late.
If your dealership needs help building a compliance tracking process for CPD and other regulatory requirements, reach out to our team. We work with Ontario dealers every day on exactly these challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I do not complete CPD before my renewal date?
Your OMVIC registration expires automatically. You cannot legally trade in motor vehicles until your registration is reinstated. OMVIC has stated clearly that it has no discretion to grant extensions or exceptions. The consequences are binary: complete CPD and renew, or do not complete it and lose your registration.
How much does the OMVIC CPD program cost?
The cost is $99 per registrant per cycle. OMVIC describes this as a cost-recovery fee. Dealers pay annually; salespersons pay every two years. Grandfathered registrants (those registered before January 1, 2010) must also complete the Georgian College MVDA Key Elements Course at an additional cost of $202.86.
Can I complete the CPD on my phone or tablet?
Yes. The platform is fully online, mobile-friendly, and supports save-and-resume functionality. You can work through modules on any device, stop at any point, and pick up where you left off. There is no requirement to complete the program in a single sitting.
What if I fail the assessment?
You can retake it as many times as needed. There is no limit on attempts. The pass threshold is 80%, and the unlimited retake policy means that anyone who puts in the time to learn the material will eventually pass. The UCDA is also offering in-class preparation courses for registrants who want structured support before attempting the assessment.
Do administrative staff at the dealership need to complete CPD?
No. The CPD requirement applies only to OMVIC-registered dealers and salespersons. Administrative staff, office managers, and other non-registered employees are exempt. However, dealers may find value in having key administrative staff review the CPD content voluntarily, particularly those involved in deal documentation, advertising, or customer-facing compliance processes.