Overview

The Mandatory Vehicle Branding Program gives consumers important information about past damage and helps keep stolen and unsafe vehicles off the road.

If a vehicle has been damaged by collision, impact, fire or flood, or has been stolen and dismantled, it may have a “brand” applied to vehicle records that identify the extent of the damage.

As a consumer, you can find the brand to determine if the used vehicle you are about to purchase is allowed on the road or for parts only.

Some vehicles are exempted from the program. Motorcycles are included, with slight differences when it comes to branding.

How vehicles receive brands

Vehicles brands are assigned by:

  • The Ministry of Transportation
  • insurance companies
  • auto recyclers
  • salvagers
  • auctioneers
  • dealers
  • individual vehicle owners

Vehicle brand changes must be reported to the Ministry of Transportation within a certain time period. The brand is recorded in the ministry’s Vehicle Registration System.

Vehicle owners who don’t receive a claim settlement through their insurance company for a severely damaged vehicle must have the brand determined by an authorized technician at a registered DriveON Vehicle Inspection Centre (VIC). 

Brand types

There are four different types of brands. Only vehicles branded as “None” or “Rebuilt” can be driven on Ontario roads.

Learn more about buying or selling a used vehicle in Ontario.

None

A vehicle branded as “None”:

  • is a default brand applied to all new vehicles
  • may have been damaged or rebuilt before March 31, 2003
  • may have been damaged, but not to a degree that meets our branding criteria (for example, deemed a total loss)
  • may never have been in a collision

Rebuilt

A vehicle branded “Salvage,” once repaired, can receive the brand “Rebuilt.”

For a vehicle to qualify as “Rebuilt”:

  • the owners must have photographs of the vehicle’s damaged state, document(s) and a detailed invoice(s) showing major components used to rebuild the vehicle, as well as additional documents.
  •  unless the vehicle was previously branded “Rebuilt” from another jurisdiction, all salvage vehicle inspections require an insurance estimate.
  • all rebuilt vehicles entering Ontario for registration will have their “Rebuilt” brand downgraded to “Salvage.” These vehicles will require a structural inspection from an authorized technician at a DriveON VIC to be registered for road use in Ontario. To qualify for an inspection, a copy of the out-of-province registration showing that the vehicle was rebuilt must be submitted to the DriveOn VIC.

Salvage

A vehicle branded “Salvage”:

  • has been written-off as a total loss
  • can be repaired or used for parts or scrap
  • has been branded “Rebuilt” in another Canadian or U.S. jurisdiction and has been branded “Salvage” when being registered in Ontario

If a vehicle with a “Salvage” brand is repaired, it must pass a structural inspection at a registered DriveON VIC to be re-branded as “Rebuilt.”

Irreparable

A vehicle branded “Irreparable”:

  • has been written-off as a total loss
  • can only be used for parts or scrap
  • cannot be driven again in Ontario

Find a vehicle brand

A vehicle's brand will appear:

This is an image of a vehicle permit. It is green and has a vehicle portion on the left and a plate portion on the right. At the bottom of the plate portion, you will find the signature of the registered vehicle owner.

An Ontario vehicle permit with “Brand – None”. View a larger version of the image.

Buying a salvage vehicle


When you buy a salvage vehicle, ensure the seller gives you:

  • The vehicle portion of the owner’s permit with the completed portion on the back
  • The Used Vehicle Information Package, including the Bill of Sale with the name of the seller and purchase price.
    • the Bill of Sale must be signed and dated by the buyer and seller

Contesting a vehicle brand


If a vehicle has been branded “Salvage” or “Irreparable” in Ontario, the registered owner has 90 days to appeal the branding. The 90-day window is prescribed under the Highway Traffic Act and is non-negotiable. 

To contest a brand that is assigned to your vehicle, the following criteria must be met:

  • The vehicle must have been branded in Ontario (brands assigned in other Canadian provinces or the U.S. are not eligible for reclassification).
  • The vehicle must be registered to the individual or company contesting the brand.
  • The vehicle must have been branded within the last 90 days.
  • The vehicle has not been repaired and is in the same condition it was when it received its brand.

To contest a vehicle brand, you will need the Application for Reclassification of a Vehicle Brand form. You must complete all applicable sections. If your vehicle is not currently insured and/or plated, those sections may be left blank. 

The following supporting documents must be submitted with your application:

  • at least six colour photos of the vehicle (front, both sides, rear, VIN plate, odometer)
  • a brief written explanation of why you believe the brand is incorrect
  • a copy of the insurance estimate

Note: To contest a vehicle brand, the existing brand cannot be “None.” It must either be “Irreparable” or “Salvage.”

Submit your application in PDF format to the Mandatory Vehicle Branding Unit at branding@ontario.ca. If your application is approved for review, the process could take approximately four to six weeks. You may be contacted for additional information. 

Looking up a vehicle history

You can order individual vehicle records by purchasing a Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP). If you wish to review vehicle registration records on a recurring basis, apply to become an authorized requestor.

Out-of-province vehicles

Vehicles from another Canadian or U.S. jurisdiction that are registered in Ontario will have their vehicle brand carried over, except for the “Rebuilt” brand, which will be downgraded to “Salvage.”  Before these vehicles can be driven in Ontario, they require a structural inspection from a registered DriveON VIC to be registered as “Rebuilt.” Once the inspection is complete, you can take your documentation to a ServiceOntario location to register your vehicle.

Motorcycles with a brand that isn’t equivalent to “None” will have their brand downgraded to “Irreparable.”
 

Motorcycle branding

In Ontario, the only brands that can be assigned to a motorcycle are “None” and “Irreparable”.

Where there is damage to the frame that requires replacement, the motorcycle is branded as “Irreparable”.

All imported motorcycles previously branded as “Irreparable”, “Salvage”, “Rebuilt” or an equivalent brand in another jurisdiction are branded “Irreparable” when registered in Ontario.

A Structural Inspection Certificate cannot be issued for a motorcycle. This means that the motorcycle will never be eligible to be driven on Ontario roads and can only be used for parts. A vehicle permit is still issued.

Ontario’s mandatory motorcycle branding laws came into effect on July 16, 2007. Some motorcycles that were imported and registered before July 16, 2007, may not have been branded and should be left non-branded.

Exempted vehicles

The following vehicles are not assigned a brand:

  • trailers
  • traction engines
  • farm tractors
  • road-building machines
  • bicycles
  • motor-assisted bicycles
  • motorized snow vehicles
  • all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
  • streetcars
  • motor vehicles with a model year of 1980 or earlier

Stolen vehicles

The police notify the Ministry of Transportation when a vehicle is stolen, and all transactions involving stolen vehicles are blocked on the ministry’s Vehicle Registration System database.

“Stolen” is not a vehicle brand. This status can only be removed when the police advise the ministry that the vehicle has been recovered.