To ensure the health and safety of their employees and the public, the Ontario government extended the validity of identification documents, including drivers’ licenses, that expired on or after March 1, 2020, so that in-person visits to renewal facilities could be avoided. Information on the extended validity and renewal requirements for drivers’ licences in Ontario is available here.
On September 1, 2021, the Ontario government announced that it will be reinstating the renewal requirements for provincial identification documents. Persons with expired driver’s licences have until February 28, 2022 to ensure these documents are renewed. The Minister of Transportation is encouraging Ontarians to plan ahead and renew their documents online using Service Ontario’s online portal.
For the purposes of verifying client identity, if a person presents a driver’s licence that expired on or after March 1, 2020, lawyers and paralegals must continue to determine that the document is an original government-issued photo identification document, but can, until the renewal deadline of February 28, 2022, consider the driver’s licence as valid and current. Alternatively, lawyers and paralegals may wish to consider using the credit file or dual process method to verify the identity of the person. For more information on these methods of verification, review the Law Society’s Client Identification and Verification Flowchart.
As the approach to this issue may vary among provincial and territorial governments in Canada, lawyers and paralegals should check with the appropriate authority in other jurisdiction(s), if applicable.
Last updated: February 9, 2022