Home / OMVIC Compliance
Compliance

Walk into an OMVIC inspection with complete files.

OMVIC inspects every registered dealer in Ontario, and the MVDA's regulation spells out exactly which records you must keep — for six years. At most small lots those records live in manila folders and memory. Lot Jacket keeps them complete, checked, and ready to show.

DEAL #247 — 2017 FORD F-150 XLT Audit-ready
📄BILL OF SALE — ITEMIZED ALL-IN PRICEAI SCANNED
🪪ONTARIO DRIVER'S LICENCE — BUYER IDAI SCANNED
📋SECTION 42 WRITTEN DISCLOSURESON CONTRACT
🚗CARFAX REPORT + LIEN SEARCHPULLED
🔧SAFETY STANDARDS CERTIFICATEFILED
⚠️TRADE-IN ODOMETER STATEMENTMISSING
ONTARIO COMPLIANCE CHECK0%
it caught the gap before the inspector did ↑
The short version Under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act and O. Reg. 333/08, a complete deal file proves who bought the vehicle, what they bought, what was disclosed in writing, on what terms, and that it was delivered — and you keep it for six years. Lot Jacket checks every file against those requirements and flags what's missing while the deal is still on your desk, not six years later in an inspection.

The two numbers to remember

6 years
RECORD RETENTION — O. REG. 333/08, ss. 52–54
$3,000
REPAIR COST THAT TRIGGERS WRITTEN DISCLOSURE — s. 42

Six years is how long registered dealers must keep their records, at a location approved by the Registrar — and the same period applies to digital records. $3,000 is the past-repair threshold that makes accident disclosure mandatory on the contract, one of roughly two dozen written disclosures section 42 requires. For the full document-by-document breakdown, read the OMVIC deal file checklist.

What Lot Jacket checks on every deal

  • ✓The file is complete. Bill of sale, buyer ID, disclosures, history and lien, safety certificate or initialed as-is statement, financing, trade-in, delivery and odometer — every category the regulation's record rules expect, in one jacket.
  • ✓The price is consistent. The bill of sale is generated from the deal data, so the advertised number, the contracted number, and the itemized fees inside the all-in price line up by construction.
  • ✓Nothing is left verbal. Section 42 disclosures live on the contract, in writing — because a disclosure that isn't in the file didn't happen.
  • ✓The register matches. Every deal writes its own garage register entry, in and out, under the MTO form's own headings.
  • ✓It stays produced-on-request. Closed files are locked, kept, and exportable — readable and printable the way OMVIC's Electronic Record-Keeping Guideline expects.

You stay the dealer of record and stay in control. Lot Jacket doesn't stand between you and your regulator — it makes the complete file the path of least resistance.

Straight answers

What is OMVIC compliance software?
OMVIC compliance software helps registered Ontario motor vehicle dealers keep the records required under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act and O. Reg. 333/08, including complete deal files, bills of sale with the itemized all-in price, written disclosures, and the garage register. Lot Jacket runs Ontario-specific checks on every deal file and flags gaps before an inspection does.
Does OMVIC require specific software?
No. OMVIC does not require or endorse any specific software. Dealers can keep paper records, and OMVIC's Electronic Record-Keeping Guideline accepts digital records as long as they are readable, printable on request, backed up, and kept secure. Storing records off-site, including in a cloud service, requires the Registrar's permission.
How long do Ontario dealers have to keep deal records?
Six years, at a location approved by the Registrar. The requirement comes from the record-keeping sections of O. Reg. 333/08 under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, and the same six-year period applies to digital records.
What happens if my deal files are incomplete at an OMVIC inspection?
Incomplete records can lead to compliance orders, follow-up inspections, and in serious or repeated cases, discipline or conditions on your registration. Most gaps are administrative — a missing delivery record, an unwritten disclosure, a register entry never made — and organized digital files prevent them.

Bring your messiest deal file.

Book a free 15-minute demo and watch Lot Jacket scan it, check it, and tell you exactly what's missing — before anyone official does.

Book a live demoJoin the waitlist
Sources
  1. Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. B — Government of Ontario
  2. O. Reg. 333/08: General (under the MVDA) — Government of Ontario
  3. Mandatory Disclosures — OMVIC
  4. All-In Price Advertising — OMVIC
  5. Electronic Record-Keeping Guideline — OMVIC

This page is general information for Ontario used-car dealers, not legal or compliance advice. OMVIC requirements can change — always confirm the current rules with OMVIC or a qualified advisor.

Lot Jacket — built in Ontario, for Ontario's independent dealers. Home · Guides · Book a demo