(Photos courtesy of TADA): From left to right: Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener – Conestoga; Ross Romano, Minister of Government and Consumer Services; and Jordan Finch, Managing Partner, Finch Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC.
Car buyers will be able to do purchases easier, faster and more conveniently following legislation announced on March 22 by the provincial government, which will enable dealerships to register vehicles online and issue permits and licence plates directly to consumers.
The government made the announcement in London, Ont., at the Finch Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC dealership. The program will be rolled out at the start with 40 dealerships to see how registration works. It will then be fine-tuned and implement fully to the 7,000-plus dealerships in the province.
The implementation of the Digital Dealership Registration (DDR) will provide Ontario’s car dealerships access to an online program that eliminates duplicative paperwork and time-consuming trips to ServiceOntario centres, the government said in a media release. This new process will speed up service delivery, while improving the ease of doing business in the province—with dealerships being able to provide registration and licence plates directly to customers, reducing the administrative burden they face and saving them additional costs and time.
“Implementing the new Digital Dealership Registration process is yet another way our government is cutting red tape for businesses and improving the speed and ease with which Ontarians access government services,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Government and Consumer Services.
Once fully implemented, DDR will help move online up to 4.8 million dealership registration transactions annually, including the registration of pre-owned vehicles, vehicle transfers, and vehicle permit replacements—all of which must currently be conducted in person. DDR will also facilitate more accurate and error free registrations, while protecting the security and privacy of Ontarians’ data, the release said.
The Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) lauded the legislation change, saying it is the most important policy announcement made by the Government of Ontario in a generation.
“Allowing new car dealers to electronically register the vehicles they sell or lease brings the vehicle sales process into the digital age,” said Frank Notte, TADA Director of Government Relations. “No longer will dealers waste time and money by making multiple trips to a licensing office or waiting in line for registration services. Dealers will be able to register vehicles online and hand over the keys to the customer minutes after signing on the dotted line rather than hours or days later.”
(Photos courtesy of TADA): left: Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga; right: Frank Notte, Director of Government Relations for TADA.
