What Is a BCIN? Building Code Identification Number Explained

BCIN, qualification and registration are three different things

So a student who has just generated a BCIN to book an exam has a BCIN but no qualification. Someone who passed the House exam years ago but let their designer registration lapse is qualified but not currently registered. Only a current registration lets a designer submit permit drawings under their own name.

Who needs a BCIN

The Ministry's page lists the people and firms who must be qualified and registered under the Building Code Act:

• chief building officials, managers and supervisors
• inspectors, including plans examiners, on-site sewage, plumbing and fire protection inspectors
• certain designers, including independent designers and design firms
• on-site sewage system installers
• registered code agencies

The legal basis is Building Code Act s. 15.11BCA s. 15.11 Qualifications for various positions(1) A person is not eligible to be appointed as a chief building official unless he or she has the qualifications set out in the building code for the position. (2) Subsection (1) also applies to every inspector who has the same powers and duties as a chief building official in relation to sewage systems or to…, which ties each of these roles to the qualifications in the Building Code, and Part 3 of Division C, which sets them out, starting with chief building officials and inspectors (OBC Div. C 3.1.1.1.OBC Div. C 3.1.1.1. Scope(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), this Section prescribes, for the purposes of subsections 15.11(1), (2) and (3) of the Act, (a) the qualifications that a person must satisfy to be appointed and to remain appointed as, (i) a chief building official under the Act, or (ii) an inspector who has the same powers and…) and designers (OBC Div. C 3.2.1.1.OBC Div. C 3.2.1.1. Scope(1) This Section prescribes, for the purposes of clause 8(2)(c) and subsection 15.11(5) of the Act, the qualifications for a person who carries out design activities.). Architects and professional engineers are exempt from the designer qualification (Building Code Act s. 15.11BCA s. 15.11 Qualifications for various positions(1) A person is not eligible to be appointed as a chief building official unless he or she has the qualifications set out in the building code for the position. (2) Subsection (1) also applies to every inspector who has the same powers and duties as a chief building official in relation to sewage systems or to…, subsection 8).

Homeowners designing their own house are also exempt in most cases (OBC Div. C 3.2.5.1.OBC Div. C 3.2.5.1. General(1) Except as provided in Sentence (3), a person who carries out design activities but is not required under Sentence 3.2.4.1.(1) to be registered with the director under Sentence 3.2.4.2.(1) must have the following qualification: (a) the person must be registered with the director under Sentence 3.2.5.2.(1). (2) A…), so a typical renovation by an owner does not need a BCIN holder.

How to get a BCIN

1. Go to QuARTS on the Ministry's website and sign in with an Ontario.ca Login (create one if you do not have one).
2. Create your QuARTS profile with a personal email you will keep. Exam results notices go to that address.
3. Generate your BCIN. The Ministry lists no fee for this.
4. Use that personal BCIN to register for exams with Humber Polytechnic. Humber warns not to use a company BCIN.

The steps after that, exam booking and the $150 fee, are in BCIN exam registration and cost.

What QuARTS does

QuARTS (Qualification and Registration Tracking System) is where you:

• get your BCIN
• see your exam results once Humber sends them to the Ministry
• create and renew registrations
• get renewal notices before a registration expires
• upload insurance forms (design firms)
• pay fees

How to look up a BCIN

The Ministry keeps a public register of qualified people and firms. For building officials it shows the name, identifying number, the principal authorities that appointed them, and their classes (OBC Div. C 3.1.6.1.OBC Div. C 3.1.6.1. Public Register(1) The director shall establish and maintain a register available to the public that lists every person who has the qualifications required by subsections 15.11(1), (2) and (3) of the Act and has been appointed as a chief building official or inspector by a principal authority. (2) The register referred to in…). For designers and firms it shows the name, identifying number, business address, classes, and the qualified people responsible for the design (OBC Div. C 3.2.6.1.OBC Div. C 3.2.6.1. Public Register(1) The director shall establish and maintain a register available to the public that lists every person who has the qualifications required by clause 8(2)(c) and subsection 15.11(5) of the Act. (2) The register referred to in Sentence (1) shall contain the following information with respect to every person registered…).

To check a designer before hiring:

1. Open the QuARTS Public Search Registry.
2. Search by the firm or person's name, or by the BCIN on their drawings.
3. Confirm the registration is current and lists the class your project needs, for example House for a detached house with up to two dwelling units.
4. Check that the person signing your drawings is named on the firm's registration.

Exam candidates who have a BCIN but no registration will generally not appear in the public register, because it lists registered practitioners.

Classes you will see on a BCIN record

Registrations are by class, matching Table 3.5.2.1 of Division C (OBC Div. C Table 3.5.2.1.OBC Div. C Table 3.5.2.1. Classes of Registration and Categories of Qualifications for Inspectors and Persons Who Carry Out Design Activities[1][2] — Forming Part of Sentence 3.5.2.1.(1)Table 3.5.2.1. — Classes of Registration and Categories of Qualifications for Inspectors and Persons Who Carry Out Design Activities[1][2] — Forming Part of Sentence 3.5.2.1.(1) Item | Classes of Registration for Inspectors and Persons Who Carry out Design Activities | Categories of Qualifications for Inspectors and…). The 12 technical classes are House, Small Buildings, Large Buildings, Complex Buildings, Plumbing - House, Plumbing - All Buildings, HVAC - House, Building Services, Building Structural, On-site Sewage Systems, Detection, Lighting and Power, and Fire Protection. Some exams grant more than one: Small Buildings also gives House, and Building Services also gives HVAC - House and Detection, Lighting and Power. See Which BCIN exams do I need? for the full nesting table.

BCIN and the "BCIN exam"

People search for "BCIN exam" when they mean the Ontario Building Code examinations. The Ministry writes the questions and Humber Polytechnic delivers them online with a live proctor or at college test centres. Every exam has 70 multiple-choice questions, 3 hours, 70% to pass, and the 2024 Building Code Compendium as the open book. Our BCIN exam guide covers the format, and each exam has a free study guide, for example General Legal/Process and House.

Quick answers

Next: if you want to design houses, read BCIN designer: what they do and how to become one.