Table of contents
Introduction
Accessibility
Consumer products: Labelling and safety
Food: labelling and safety
Workplace health and safety
Health regulations
Tobacco regulations
Trade certification
Media usage
Financial transactions and loans
Environmental regulations and inspections
Firearms, fireworks and explosives
E-business
Privacy and protection of personal information
Other resources
Introduction
Whether you are starting or growing your business, you need to be aware of business regulations. Regulations set the standards and rules that ensure the Canadian marketplace is safe, consistent and fair to everyone.
Depending on the product or service you are offering or where your business is located, you may need to meet regulation standards from any or all of the following:
- Federal government
- Provincial governments
- Municipal governments
- Industry associations
- Regulatory bodies (colleges, government-approved organizations)
Your business may need licences and permits from the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government.
In addition to the information you will find in this guide, you can use BizPaL to find licences and regulations that may affect your business.
Contact us:
Permits and licences search
Accessibility
You are responsible for ensuring that your business is accessible to people with disabilities. To learn more about making your business accessible to staff and customers, consult the following:
Accessibility laws
Make sure that your Ontario business meets accessibility standards for customer service, transportation, information and communications, built environments, employment and filing your compliance report.
Contact the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility:
1-866-515-2025
Accessibility in Ontario
Consumer products: labelling and safety
The label you put on your product is an important way of communicating the value of that product to potential customers. You can use your labels to sell the benefits of your product to your clients, but you must follow labelling rules and standards.
The rules can be more restrictive for some types of products than for others. You should research the regulations and standards for your product before selling them.
Consumer products labelling (non-food)
There are labelling standards for everyday consumer products, such as t-shirts, office supplies and pet food, that you need to know about before you begin selling products.
The Competition Bureau regulates labelling for most “non-food” consumer products. To learn more about the rules for packaging, labelling and advertising your products, contact the Competition Bureau directly or refer to the following link:
Contact the Competition Bureau:
1-800-348-5358
Labelling
The Competition Bureau also publishes individual guides on labelling requirements for certain business activities and consumer products. Refer to the following guides if you need more information on a specific aspect of labelling:
Labelling - Packaging consumer products (non-food)
Learn about your responsibilities when packaging and labelling consumer products (including pet food).
Read online:
Guide to the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations
Packaging and labelling requirements
Labelling – Textiles
Find out what your responsibilities are when labelling textiles, including how to register for a CA number.
Read online:
Guide to the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations
CA Identification Number
Made in Canada
Learn about the rules and regulations for using claims like "Designed in Canada" or "Made in Canada" to promote your products.
Read online:
"Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" claims
Food: Labelling and safety
Food safety and proper labelling is an important concern for Canadians. Labelling standards for food products help make sure that consumers have the information they need about the food they are purchasing. If you plan on packaging, distributing or selling food products in Canada, you must make sure they meet labelling standards.
Food labelling and advertising
Learn about the standards that apply to labelling and advertising for all food products in Canada, including how to appropriately show net quantity, quality and composition. Food labelling requirements apply to producers, manufacturers, advertisers, importers and retailers of food products.
Contact Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA):
1-800-442-2342
Food labelling for industry
Ontario-specific food labelling regulations
Find out about Ontario’s food labelling regulations for specific food products like honey, meat, maple products, and more.
Contact Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA):
1-877-424-1300
Regulatory requirements for produce in Ontario
Foodland Ontario
Use the Foodland Ontario logo as a marketing tool for your business. You can use the logo, free of charge, on eligible Ontario food products.
Contact Foodland Ontario:
1-877-424-1300
How to use the Foodland Ontario logo
The following government guides provide additional information on rules and regulations related to food safety:
- OMAFRA - Food safety regulations and other government regulations
- OMAFRA – Food safety
- Health Canada – Food and nutrition
Workplace health and safety
As a business owner, you are responsible for ensuring that your products and services are safe and your employees work in a healthy, safe environment.
Most employees, employers and workplaces in Ontario are covered by occupational health and safety regulations. As an employer in Ontario, your obligations include a duty to instruct, inform and supervise your workers in order to protect their health and safety.
Read online:
Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Preventing workplace illness and injury is an important part of your responsibility towards your employees and in creating a healthy and safe work environment.
You can find out more about prevention training requirements and resources for you and your employees from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development's Health & Safety Contact Centre.
Contact the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development:
1-877-202-0008
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development – Health and safety for small businesses
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
The WSIB is dedicated to helping you with workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
Most employers are legally required to register with the WSIB within 10 days of hiring an employee. You will get several benefits from registration, including:
- No-fault workplace insurance
- Help getting your injured employees back to work
- Protection from lawsuits
Note: You will be required to pay an insurance premium.
Contact WSIB:
1-800-387-0750
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
To learn more about regulations for hiring employees, read our guide:
Employment regulations guide: Hiring
Health regulations
If your business produces or sells health products or cosmetics, you are required to know what licences, permits and tests are needed before you produce and sell your product. Health Canada regulates health products and medical devices in Canada. To learn about the requirements for health products and medical devices, refer to the information below:
Drugs and health products (therapeutic)
You are responsible for ensuring that the drugs and health products you produce or sell are approved for use in Canada. The regulations apply to products such as cough and cold medicine, over the counter drugs, toothpaste and antiperspirant.
Contact Health Canada:
1-800-267-9675
Drugs and health products
Medical devices
If you produce or sell medical devices, you must ensure that they have accurate labels and meet Health Canada’s standards. The labels must list the materials used, evidence of the product's safety, as well as the recall and correction procedures.
Contact Health Canada's Medical Devices Bureau:
613-957-0368
Medical devices
Medical device inspections
Natural health products
Your natural health products must meet Canadian standards for importing, distributing, storing, manufacturing, packaging, and labelling before you can sell them in Canada.
Read online:
Natural Health Products Compliance and Enforcement Policy
About Natural Health Product Regulation in Canada
Product licensing
Cosmetics
If you are producing or selling cosmetics products, you must ensure that they meet Health Canada's cosmetics standards and labelling requirements.
Contact Health Canada:
1-866-662-0666
Regulatory information for cosmetics
Tobacco regulations
Tobacco regulations affect almost every business. Rules apply if you are importing, exporting, transporting, storing, processing, selling, or marketing tobacco products, as well as for your staff or customers who want to smoke.
In addition to the federal and provincial information listed below, contact the municipality where you will be operating for information on local tobacco laws.
Tobacco control
If you plan to produce or import tobacco products, or plan to allow the consumption of tobacco products in areas under federal control, make sure you are complying with Health Canada’s tobacco regulations.
Contact Health Canada:
1-866-318-1116
Regulating tobacco and vaping products
Trade certification
In Ontario, you need to be certified to work in certain trades. If you or your employees will be working in the trades, you must ensure that you meet any mandatory certification requirements. Examples of trade positions that require training or certification include:
- Automotive electronic accessory technician
- Electrician: domestic & rural
- Refrigeration & air conditioning systems mechanic
- Crane operators
- Sheet metal workers
- Plumber
- Hairstylist
You can often become certified in your trade even if certification is not mandatory. A complete listing of regulated trades and more information about mandatory and voluntary trade certification is available from Skilled Trades Ontario.
Contact Skilled Trades Ontario:
1-855-299-0028
Skilled Trades Ontario
Media usage
Media related industries, like music, movies, television broadcasts, phone services and internet services are regulated in Canada. If your business will be offering, using or working with these types of media, it is important to be aware of the following:
Telecommunications regulations
If you work in the telecommunications industry, including television and radio broadcasting, you should contact the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for information on the regulations that may apply to your business.
Contact CRTC:
1-877-249-2782
Licences
Financial transactions and loans
Many types of financial transactions are regulated in Canada. If your business offers financial services or works with businesses that do (e.g. accounting or legal services), you should consult the following:
Financial transactions and reporting
You are required to report certain types of business transactions, including:
- Large financial transfers
- Currency exchange
- Securities
- Insurance
- Real estate
- Sale of precious metals and stones
- Dealing in virtual currency
- Certain payment services (including invoicing)
- Crowdfunding platforms
Contact Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC):
1-866-346-8722
Guidance and resources for businesses (reporting entities)
Financial services regulations
If you have a financial service business, such as a credit union, insurance company or mortgage brokerage, contact the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) for information on licensing and regulations.
Contact FSRA:
1-800-668-0128
FSRA – For industry
Payday lenders and loan brokers’ licences
You must be licensed if you provide payday loans or broker services.
Contact Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery:
1-800-889-9768
A guide for payday lenders
Environmental regulations and inspections
You may need to follow environmental regulations and meet certain environmental standards depending on your business activities.
Common environmental regulations that apply to businesses in Ontario include:
Ontario Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA)
You will need an Environmental Compliance Approval from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) if your business:
- Releases contaminants (pollutants) into the air, onto land, or into water
- Provides potable water supplies
- Stores, transports or disposes waste
Contact MECP:
1-800-461-6290
Environmental approvals
Permits to take water
Learn about permits that are required if your business takes more than 50,000 litres of water a day from a lake, river, stream or groundwater source.
Read online:
Permits to take water
Drinking water
Learn about the rules, reporting requirements, certification, licensing, registration and permits for water systems in Ontario, including wells and wastewater.
Read online:
Drinking water
Wild animal and plant trade
If you will be importing, exporting or transporting certain wild animal or plant species, you must obtain the appropriate documents (e.g., licences, permits). The regulations apply to all protected plants or animals, alive or dead, as well as to their parts and any derived products.
Contact Environment and Climate Change Canada:
1-800-668-6767
Wild animal and plant protection
Firearms, fireworks and explosives
The use of firearms and explosives is regulated in Canada. Additional regulations will apply to your business if you buy or sell firearms, fireworks or explosives.
Explosives Regulatory Division
You must obtain a permit to manufacture, store or use fireworks and explosives devices.
Contact Natural Resources Canada:
613- 948-5200
Explosives, fireworks and ammunition
Canadian Firearms Program
Your business must be licensed to buy, sell, import, export or display firearms and munitions. You may need additional licences and permits if your business will be using restricted weapons or firearms.
Contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP):
1-800-731-4000
Importing and exporting firearms, firearm parts and ammunition
Licensing
Information and services for businesses
E-business
When doing business online, there are a number of legal requirements that you should be aware of, such as providing secure credit and debit card transactions. Make sure you know the rules for selling to customers outside of Ontario, creating contracts at a distance and any taxation that may apply.
Read online:
E-business, security, privacy and legal requirements
Privacy and protection of personal information
There are rules that you must follow if you collect, use, store and protect client information. These rules cover information like contact information, medical records and correspondence (email, fax, letters).
You can learn more about privacy and your business from the following resources:
Personal information protection
Find out what client information you can collect, use, or disclose while doing business, and what responsibilities you have to protect this information.
Contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada:
1-800-282-1376
Privacy Guide for Businesses
Privacy topics
What you need to know about mandatory reporting of breaches of security safeguards
Medical record regulations
Find out what your obligations are if your business will be handling medical records, or working with organizations involved in the collection of health information.
Contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario:
1-800-387-0073
Collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information
Personal information collection
If you run a business that collects personal information (e.g. collection agencies, consumer reporting agencies, personal information investigators), you need to be licensed with the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (MPBSD).
Contact MPBSD:
1-800-889-9768
Ministry and administrative authority application, licence and permit forms
Other resources
The information and resources provided in this guide are a first step towards learning about the regulations that can affect your business. You may want to consult the following resources for additional information:
Provincial laws, regulations, consultations, and announcements
- Service Ontario e-Laws
Search government of Ontario laws and regulations by keyword. - Ontario Gazette
Learn about a variety of Ontario announcements, including provincial laws and regulations. - Regulatory Registry guide
Get information about Ontario regulatory proposals and recently approved regulations.
Federal laws, regulations, consultations, and announcements
- Justice Laws Website
Search federal laws by keyword. - Canada Gazette
Find announcements about new and upcoming laws and regulations. - Consulting with Canadians
Learn about new and upcoming proposals and participate in the consultation process.