As Canada works to build “One Canadian Economy” by attracting investment, creating jobs, and moving major projects forward, we need to ensure that the transportation system remains secure and resilient. This requires a modern, more responsive approach that can respond to evolving risks while remaining predictable for industry.
Like many countries, Canada screens people who need access to sensitive areas of ports or airports, or who perform important transportation duties. The Transportation Security Clearance (TSC) Program helps manage certain risk to critical touchpoints in the transportation system by conducting security background checks and risk assessments, making sure people in trusted positions don’t pose transportation security concerns.
Learn more about the Transportation Security Clearance Program.
On this page
- New and growing risks
- Limits of the current system
- Why we need to modernize
- What we’re proposing
- Expanding risk assessments
- Broadening the use of security clearances
- Supporting information sharing
- Improving program integrity
- Conclusion
- Discussion questions
- How to Participate
- Next steps
New and growing risks
While the program has done a good job at dealing with traditional transportation security risks like terrorism and sabotage, threats continue to evolve. Organized crime is becoming a concern across the transportation system. Drug trafficking, human smuggling, stolen vehicles and fraud are occurring using legitimate operations and supply chains. The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada reports out annually on organized crime activity. This was a focus of Transport Canada’s Let’s Talk in January 2025 on Expanding Transportation Security Clearance Requirements to additional port and marine facility employees.
Transportation hubs, especially airports and ports, are attractive targets since they’re key gateways for trade. Evidence shows that these sites are vulnerable to insider threats where people with legitimate access help move illicit goods. Data from the World Customs Organization suggests that a large share of the illicit goods that move through supply chains involve people working inside the system.
These risks aren’t limited to ports and airports. Illicit activities occur throughout the supply chain, including warehouses, freight forwarding operations, trucking, rail, and intermodal transfer points. Organized crime groups often use legitimate businesses and interconnected logistics systems to move goods and avoid detection.
There are hundreds of organized crime groups in Canada, and many have international and commercial connections. Because these threats are large, complex and connected, there’s a growing need for a more coordinated approach to transportation security.
Limits of the current system
The current TSC Program mainly focuses on transportation-specific risks within some aviation and marine facilities. While this approach works well for its original purpose, it’s less effective at addressing wider public safety concerns or activities that happen outside restricted areas or specific functions.
The program’s scope also limits our ability to consider other relevant information, like any links to organized crime or patterns of suspicious activity, when assessing whether someone should have access to trusted positions within the transportation system.
As a result, there are limitations to who gets screened and challenges when it comes to what risks are considered. For example, we proposed to apply security clearances in other areas of the transportation system and to incorporate other public interest factors into risk assessments. More examples on how we propose to address these challenges are below.
Recent programs offer useful examples of a more effective approach. One example is the Access Clearance (AC) Program for U.S. preclearance areas. This distinct program uses broader screening criteria that includes factors related to border security. It also includes eligibility requirements that can help identify higher-risk individuals earlier in the process.
Why we need to modernize
Today’s transportation system faces more complex and connected threats than in the past. To address these risks and current limitations to the program, Canada needs a program that is responsive, risk-based, and able to respond to changing conditions.
A modernized approach would strengthen security across the transportation system while supporting economic growth and efficient operations.
To meet these goals, the Government of Canada is considering legislative amendments to create a broader and more effective framework. These changes would help partners work together, make better use of information, and help us better manage risks related to people who hold trusted roles within the transportation system.
At the same time, an updated framework would need to balance the use of sensitive information with fair treatment of applicants.
What we’re proposing
The proposed approach would create the foundation for a modern transportation security clearance system that can respond to current and emerging risks.
Updates to the Canada Transportation Act would let the Minister grant, refuse, suspend, or cancel security clearances in a broader context. The changes would also support better information sharing and add flexibility. Changes to the Act would establish a foundation upon which further consultation and work would be done to develop future regulations.
The existing TSC program would remain while new regulations are developed.
Expanding risk assessments
The proposal would allow the Minister to consider a wider range of risks when making security clearance decisions such as transportation safety, public safety interests, and the integrity of the transportation system. This would go beyond traditional transportation security concerns and enable TSCs to be more adaptive and aligned with evolving threats.
This would support more comprehensive, intelligence-informed assessments on broader risks and could include factors like:
- links to organized crime networks and business affiliates
- involvement in serious regulatory violations
- involvement in suspicious activities that support illegitimate activities
- immigration, customs and border security concerns
- signs of coercion, corruption, or vulnerability to exploitation
Broadening the use of security clearances
The proposal would support a more responsive approach to applying TSC requirements. Instead of being limited to specific sites and areas, screening could apply to broader roles and functions that are in some way connected to the transportation system.
This could include:
- cargo handling, warehousing, and freight forwarding roles
- jobs with access to sensitive digital or logistics systems
- workers involved in rail, trucking, or intermodal operations
- contractors with access to facilities or equipment
Supporting information sharing
The proposal would create authorities to strengthen information sharing with domestic and international partners while maintaining safeguards. These changes aim to balance the effectiveness of police investigations with fairness for applicants.
The goal would be to:
- improve access to relevant intelligence
- protect sensitive sources and investigations
- make sure applicants understand and can respond to decisions that affect them
Improving program integrity
The proposal would also add measures to improve compliance and accountability, like:
- fines (administrative monetary penalties) for violations
- clearer responsibilities for employers and operators in future regulations
- stronger controls to prevent misuse of clearances or unauthorized access
Conclusion
Canada’s transportation system faces increasingly complex threats. While the current program provides an important foundation, it wasn’t designed to address today’s risks, particularly those linked to organized crime and supply chain exploitation.
Modernizing the program would improve transportation security and help protect Canada’s supply chains.
Discussion questions
- Do the proposed changes do a good job of addressing current and emerging risks to transportation security and public safety?
- How could new screening requirements impact your organization or sector?
- Could we broaden the scope of the TSC process without excluding more applicants than necessary?
- What factors should we consider in order to integrate more public security criteria into clearance decisions?
- How can we better share information between partners?
- What other measures could make the TSC program more effective?
- What advice, risks or unintended consequences should we consider when implementing this proposal?
How to Participate
Please send your feedback on the questions above to TC.engagement.TC@tc.gc.ca by August 21, 2026.
Next steps
This work is an important step toward modernizing Canada’s transportation security framework to better address evolving risks. Until such time as the proposal is implemented, the current security screening regime for TSCs remains in place.
Transport Canada will review all feedback and publish a “What We Heard” report. This feedback will help refine the proposal and help us develop or update regulations.
Until such time as the proposal is implemented, the current TSC Program remains in place.
Related information
Contact us
Transportation Security Clearances
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville, 330 Sparks St
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N5
Email: TC.engagement.TC@tc.gc.ca