Transport Canada's Office of Regulatory Policy and Innovation (ORPI) promotes projects that are improving how we regulate the transportation sector.
We're a central point of entry and resource for stakeholders to engage with Transport Canada. We provide practical information on how new legislative authorities and regulatory experiments can support innovation while maintaining safety and security.
We work with the:
- Department of Justice
- the Treasury Board Secretariat
- federal, provincial and territorial departments
- the transportation industry, and
- experts in technology and data science
Together, we support and guide testing innovative ideas that don't fit our current regulations.
On this page
- Get an exemption for innovation reasons
- Get permission to use electronic documents
- Help us modernize Canada's transportation laws
- Join a working group
- Contact us
Get an exemption for innovation reasons
What is a regulatory exemption?
A regulatory exemption means you have special permission to not follow, or meet, a requirement in a regulation.
For example, if your company develops aviation technology, you may want to apply for an exemption from parts of the Canadian Aviation Regulations so you can safely test a new technology.
Want to test a new technology, prototype, process or business model that isn't currently allowed by Canada's regulations? In these cases, you may want to apply for an exemption.
Transport Canada will grant exemptions when it's in the public interest or promotes innovation. An exemption for innovation reasons can last up to 5 years.
If we approve your application, you will be able to test your technology via a regulatory experiment (a low-risk, controlled environment). The results of these tests may help us develop regulations that support new technologies and promote innovation in Canada.
Apply for regulatory exemption
- Ask for an application form by emailing regulatoryinnovation-innovationreglementaire@tc.gc.ca
- We will reply in 2-3 business with a copy of the application and details on next steps
Get permission to use electronic documents
There are rules in place that may allow you to use electronic documents instead of paper ones.
If you do business with Transport Canada and use paper documents to comply with a regulatory requirement, you can apply for permission to use electronic documents instead of paper ones.
Apply for permission to use electronic documents
- Email a detailed description of the paper-based regulatory requirement to regulatoryinnovation-innovationreglementaire@tc.gc.ca
- We will reply in 2-3 business days, and provide details on next steps
Help us modernize Canada's transportation laws
We develop and put in place strategies and proposals to modernize transport-related laws through the Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill. This bill is tabled every year so we can amend legislation to modernize regulatory requirements and practices that slow innovation and competition.
In the 2022 version of the modernization bill, we amended the Canada Transportation Act to allow the Minister to make an interim order that aligns with an international standard or implements an international obligation.
Participate in a transport-related consultation
Join a working group
If you're a regulator and interested in joining either of these working groups, please email regulatoryinnovation-innovationreglementaire@tc.gc.ca.
Regulatory Innovation Consortium (RIC)
Have you noticed that information about regulations is spread across many different sources? This group is developing digital tools to support regulators.
We co-lead this group with Natural Resources Canada, and members include federal regulatory specialists from various departments.
Consortium for the Modernization of the Canada Gazette and Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement
This group is co-led by Public Service and Procurement Canada, the Canada Gazette and Transport Canada. The group is looking for ways to improve the Canada Gazette website and the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) through new tools and technology.
Members of this group include:
- the Treasury Board Secretariat
- Privy Council Office
- Canada School Public Service
- the Community of Federal Regulators, and
- the Department of Justice
Contact us
If you have questions about how we can help you, please email regulatoryinnovation-innovationreglementaire@tc.gc.ca.
If you have questions about Transport Canada's proposals in the latest Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill, please email TC.LegislativeModernization-Modernisationlegislative.TC@tc.gc.ca.