All vehicles made for sale in Canada and all vehicles imported into Canada must meet the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Manufacturers and importers must follow the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations - Schedule III and related safety standards, technical standards documents and test methods.
The Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations also apply to companies that modify or add equipment to make specialty vehicles. Examples: fire trucks, ambulances, motorhomes, school buses and limousines.
Find out more on this page about safety requirements affecting all vehicles regulated under the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations, including specific vehicle classes such as low-speed vehicles, trailers and multi-purpose passenger vehicles.
On this page
- National Safety Mark requirements
- Regulatory information for vehicles
- Safety requirements for specific types of vehicles
- Memorandums of Understanding for vehicles
- Contact us for information on vehicle safety standards
National Safety Mark requirements
The National Safety Mark shows that a vehicle or a child car seat meets the necessary standards. The centre of the logo has a unique number for the manufacturer or importer (YYY in the example below):
Canadian manufacturers who have proven that their vehicle production meets the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are granted a National Safety Mark that they must attach to their vehicles.
- Search for companies registered with Transport Canada to affix the National Safety Mark
- Find out more about the safety mark in National Safety Mark - FAQs.
Regulatory information for vehicles
These links provide information on regulatory requirements for vehicles and how compliance is enforced.
- Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations - Schedule III (including links to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and related standards, technical standards documents and test methods)
- Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations - Schedule III (classes of vehicles and the related Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards)
- Motor Vehicle Safety Oversight Program (enforcement and compliance policy)
- Process for Seeking Exemptions from Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
- Exemption orders
Safety requirements for specific types of vehicles
Trucks, buses, trailers and multi-purpose passenger vehicles
See the links below for requirements for lighting, airbrakes and retroflective equipment.
- Federal Lighting Equipment Location Requirements for Trucks, Buses and Multi-purpose Passenger Vehicles (MPVs)
- Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard - 121 - Air brake systems
- Federal Lighting Equipment Location Requirements for Trailers
- Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 - Lighting and retroflective devices (for trailers)
Low-speed vehicles
Low-speed vehicles (LSVs) are a class of small, lightweight electric vehicles that drive at a maximum speed of 32-40 km/h and have four wheels. For more information on requirements for LSVs, see the Low-speed vehicle information sheet.
Memorandums of Understanding for vehicles
These Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) affect some areas of manufacturing and marketing safe vehicles.
- MOU - Seat belt fit evaluation for the 50th percentile male ATD in front outboard seating positions
- MOU - Side impact protection
- MOU - Vehicle Compatibility
Contact us for information on vehicle safety standards
Transport Canada
Motor Vehicle Safety
Email: mvs-sa@tc.gc.ca
Telephone: 1-800-333-0371 (toll-free), 1-613-998-8616 (Ottawa region)
Related links
- Directive for issuing exemptions from the Motor Vehicle Transport Act
- Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 115 – Vehicle Identification Number
- Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 120 – Tire selection and rims for vehicles other than passenger cars
- Assessment of the electronic Belt-fit Test Device (eBTD) model
- Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption Standards Act
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999)
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) (CEPA) Environmental Registry
- Utility-Terrain Vehicles – are they regulated?