BCIN Registration and Renewal in QuARTS

Qualified, registered, or both

Passing the exams gives you a qualification in a category, such as House. A registration is what allows you to practise in the matching class, and it is time limited. You need both. Your BCIN is the ID number that ties them together (see What is a BCIN?).

Who registers, and how

For the exam combinations by role, see Which BCIN exams do I need?.

Steps in QuARTS

1. Sign in with your Ontario.ca Login and check your exam results are posted.
2. Choose the registration type: building official, qualified designer, independent (other) designer, or a firm.
3. Pick the classes you are qualified for, for example House and HVAC - House.
4. Building officials list each principal authority that employs them. Firms list the qualified people who will take responsibility for design.
5. Design firms upload proof of insurance.
6. Pay the fee. Paper applications are possible but the Ministry says they can take up to 3 weeks.

Fees

Swipe sideways to see the whole table

Designer fees are set in OBC Div. C 3.2.4.5.OBC Div. C 3.2.4.5. Fees(1) The fee payable for an application to take an examination that is part of an examination program referred to in Clause 3.2.4.2.(1)(a) or (b) is $150. (2) The fee for a registration is $202, for 2025 and subsequent calendar years. (3) The fee for the addition of a new class of registration is $44, for 2024 and… and OBC Div. C 3.2.5.5.OBC Div. C 3.2.5.5. Fees(1) The fee payable for an application to take an examination that is part of an examination program referred to in Clause 3.2.5.2.(1)(a) is $150. (2) The fee for a registration or renewal of a registration is $128, for 2025 and subsequent calendar years.; building official fees in OBC Div. C 3.1.5.3.OBC Div. C 3.1.5.3. Fees(1) The fee payable for an application to take an examination that is part of an examination program referred to in Clause 3.1.2.2.(1)(a), 3.1.3.2.(1)(a) or (b) or 3.1.4.2.(1)(a) is $150. (2) The fee for a registration or renewal of a registration is $128, for 2025 and subsequent calendar years.. These match the Ministry's page as updated July 27, 2026. Exam fees ($150 each, paid to Humber) are separate; see BCIN exam registration and cost.

Renewal

• Term. A designer registration expires one year after it is issued. The Ministry may set the first term anywhere from 90 days to 18 months so renewal dates are spread out (OBC Div. C 3.2.4.4.OBC Div. C 3.2.4.4. Term(1) A registration expires one year after it is issued but the director may, for the purposes of staggering the renewal dates of the registrations, issue the initial registration for a term of not less than 90 days and not more than 18 months.). Building official registrations follow the same rule (OBC Div. C 3.1.5.2.OBC Div. C 3.1.5.2. Term(1) A registration expires one year after it is issued but the director may, for the purposes of staggering the renewal dates of the registrations, issue the initial registration for a term of not less than 90 days and not more than 18 months.).
• When to apply. The renewal application is made within the 60 days before expiry (OBC Div. C 3.2.4.3.OBC Div. C 3.2.4.3. Application for Registration or Renewal of a Registration(1) An application for registration or renewal of a registration shall be made to the director in a form established by the director. (2) An application for renewal of a registration shall be made within 60 days before the expiry of the registration to be renewed. (3) An application for registration or renewal of a…). QuARTS sends renewal notices before a registration expires, so keep your email current.
• Applying on time protects you. If a design firm applies for renewal in that window, pays, and shows its insurance, the registration is treated as continuing until the Ministry decides (OBC Div. C 3.2.4.8.OBC Div. C 3.2.4.8. Suspension, Revocation, Refusal to Register or Renew a Registration(1) The director may, in the circumstances set out in Sentence (2), (a) refuse to register an applicant or to renew a registration, or (b) suspend or revoke a registration. (2) The circumstances referred to in Sentence (1) are, (a) the registered person is in contravention of the Act or this Code, (b) the registered…).
• If it lapses. The Ministry lists an "initial registration or reinstatement" fee for getting back in; it does not mention rewriting exams. You cannot submit designs under a registration while it is expired, so renew early.

Insurance for designers

Every designer or firm registered under 3.2.4 (design for the public) must keep professional liability insurance in place for the whole registration (OBC Div. C 3.6.2.2.OBC Div. C 3.6.2.2. Scope(1) Every registered person shall have insurance coverage under an insurance policy that satisfies the requirements set out in Article 3.6.2.3.). The minimum limits depend on the fees billed in the 12 months before the policy is issued (OBC Div. C 3.6.2.3.OBC Div. C 3.6.2.3. Insurance Coverage(1) The insurance policy, (a) shall indemnify the registered person against liability imposed by law arising out of the performance of or the failure to perform services as a registered person during any time while the person is registered under Sentence 3.2.4.2.(1) or 3.4.3.2.(1) for claims that are first made and…):

New firms use their estimated fees for the next 12 months. The deductible is capped, and the insurer must notify the Ministry at least 30 days before cancelling. The Building Code Act makes this insurance a legal duty for designers (Building Code Act s. 15.13BCA s. 15.13 Duty to have insurance(1) Every registered code agency, every person referred to in subsections 15.11 (5) and (6.1) and such other persons as may be specified in the building code who construct buildings are required to have the insurance coverage specified by the building code. (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who is a…).

Conditions while you are registered

A registered designer or firm must, among other things (OBC Div. C 3.2.4.7.OBC Div. C 3.2.4.7. Conditions(1) The following are the conditions of a registration: (a) the registered person shall carry out design activities only in respect of the type of buildings described in Column 3 of Table 3.5.2.1. that correspond to the class or classes of registration held by the registered person, (b) if the registered person is a…):

• design only the building types that match their classes
• for a firm, keep a qualified person on staff for each class it holds
• put the firm name and registration number, a responsibility statement, the responsible person's name and BCIN, and their signature on documents submitted for a permit
• tell the Ministry in writing within 15 days of a change of address or of the people listed on the registration
• give the Ministry documents it reasonably asks for, and access to records

Breaking these conditions can lead to suspension, revocation or refusal to renew, with a right to a hearing before the Tribunal (OBC Div. C 3.2.4.8.OBC Div. C 3.2.4.8. Suspension, Revocation, Refusal to Register or Renew a Registration(1) The director may, in the circumstances set out in Sentence (2), (a) refuse to register an applicant or to renew a registration, or (b) suspend or revoke a registration. (2) The circumstances referred to in Sentence (1) are, (a) the registered person is in contravention of the Act or this Code, (b) the registered…). The Ministry publishes enforcement actions on its registration page.

Code changes: 2012 and 2024

The 2024 Building Code took effect on January 1, 2025, and the exams switched to the 2024 Code on March 30, 2026. Two points for registrants:

• Registrations and qualifications held on December 31, 2024 carried over into the 2024 Code (OBC Div. C 3.2.4.2.OBC Div. C 3.2.4.2. Registration and Renewal of a Registration(1) Subject to Articles 3.2.4.8. and 3.2.4.9., the director may register an applicant, or renew a registration, in each class of registration applied for, if, (a) the applicant or registered person or, if the applicant or registered person is a corporation or partnership, a director, officer, partner or employee of…, Sentences (2) and (3)).
• The Ministry states that both the 2012 and 2024 versions of each exam meet the qualification requirements. You do not need to rewrite an exam because the Code changed.

You will need to learn the changes, though. Our 2024 Ontario Building Code changes page summarizes them.

Is there CPD or continuing education?

As of October 2026, neither the Ministry's registration page nor the renewal articles in Division C list a continuing education or CPD requirement for renewing a BCIN registration. Renewal turns on an application, the fee, and (for designers serving the public) insurance. The Ministry does say that anyone who enforces the Act or designs must keep up to date on the Building Code, and George Brown College runs the Ministry-linked training courses. Separately, the Ontario Building Officials Association runs its own CPD program for members who hold its professional designations; that is an association requirement, not a Ministry one.

Exam angle

Registration, renewal, insurance and the conditions above are tested on the legal exams. Study them in the free chapters for Designer Legal/Process and General Legal/Process, then try the free quiz on each exam page. Want to know where this leads? Read BCIN designer: how to become one.