Register in the Controlled Goods Program
Any individual or organization who needs to examine, possess or transfer controlled goods or technology in Canada must register in the Controlled Goods Program. Find out if you must register and learn about the process.
On this page
- Why individuals and organizations must register
- Who is eligible to register
- How to register
- What to expect from the registration process
- Processing times
- Renewing or terminating registration
- Amending registration
- Suspension of registration
- Who is exempt from registration
- Comply with controlled goods registration
- More information
Why individuals and organizations must register
It is the law. Individuals and organizations must register in the Controlled Goods Program if they need to examine, possess or transfer controlled goods. During registration, applicants must demonstrate this need.
Note
Failure to register may be considered an offence under federal laws, and could lead to prosecution and sanctions.
As an individual or an organization, you must register before you:
- examine, possess or transfer controlled goods or technology in Canada
- transfer controlled goods outside of Canada
- registration is required before getting an export permit from Global Affairs Canada
- receive bid solicitation documents containing controlled goods or controlled technology
Understand if you are examining, possessing or transferring controlled goods
- Examine
- means to consider in detail or subject to analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning.
- Possess
- means either actual possession, where the person has direct physical control over a controlled good at a given time, or constructive possession, where the person has the power and the intention at a given time to exercise control over a controlled good either directly or through another person or persons.
- Transfer
- means, with respect to a controlled good, to dispose of it or disclose its content in any manner.
More information
Who is eligible to register
Applications for registration in the program can be submitted by:
- individuals, who:
- carry on business in Canada
- consent to a security assessment
- live in Canada on a regular basis as either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
- businesses that are incorporated or authorized by federal, provincial or territorial law to operate as a business in Canada. These include sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations as well as organizations such as universities, legions and associations
“Registered persons” are the individuals, partnerships or other business enterprises registered in the Controlled Goods Program.
Verifying eligibility
You will be required to submit 1 of the following documents with your registration. This will allow the program to verify the eligibility of your business or organization.
Incorporated businesses
- Certificate of incorporation
- Certificate of amalgamation
- Certificate of amendment
- Certificate of continuance
- Certificate of compliance
- Master business licence
- Registraire des entreprises du Québec
Unincorporated businesses and organizations
- Business name registration
- Harmonized sales tax (HST) number
- Goods and services tax (GST) number
- Provincial sales tax (PST) number
When subcontractors must register in the Controlled Goods Program
How to register
To register in the Controlled Goods Program, you must complete the following steps:
1. Appoint an authorized individual
This is usually the owner or another senior official of the organization. This individual will be required to:
- agree to, and sign, the application for registration
- consent to a security assessment conducted by the program
- undergo a criminal record check
2. Appoint a designated official
Before your registration is approved, this individual must:
- consent to a security assessment conducted by the program
- complete designated official training
- register in the mandatory training for designated officials
More information
3. Complete the application for registration form
The application for registration form asks you to provide information about your organization, the controlled goods you will be examining, possessing or transferring, and the names of the authorized individual, designated officials, owners and business officials.
Download the application for registration form
4. Complete a security assessment application form for each required individual
The program will conduct security assessments of individuals with the following roles in the organization. The program requires only 1 application per individual, regardless of how many roles they hold.
- Designated officials must submit:
- a completed Security assessment application form (PDF)
- a copy/scan of 2 pieces of government-issued identification (at minimum 1 must be photo identification)
- proof of citizenship (for example, birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card)
- proof of residence (for example, driver's licence, government-issued document with address)
- certified criminal record check based on fingerprints
- Authorized individuals must submit:
- a completed Security assessment application form (PDF)
- a copy/scan of 2 pieces of government-issued identification (at minimum 1 must be photo identification)
- proof of citizenship (for example, birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card)
- proof of residence (for example, driver's licence, government-issued document with address)
- a certified criminal record check based on fingerprints or a name-based criminal record check verified against the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)'s Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) system
- Company owner(s) holding 20% or more of the outstanding voting shares or interests of the business must submit:
- a completed Security assessment application form (PDF)
- a copy/scan of 2 pieces of government-issued identification (at minimum 1 must be photo identification)
- proof of citizenship (for example, birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card)
- proof of residence (for example, driver's licence, government-issued document with address)
- a certified criminal record check based on fingerprints or a name-based criminal record check verified against the RCMP's CPIC system
Note
For authorized individuals and company owners choosing to submit name-based criminal record checks, the Controlled Goods Program accepts only name-based criminal record checks from local police services or the RCMP which have been verified against the RCMP's CPIC system.
Security assessment application checklists
Consult the list of supporting documentation that you must submit with the security assessment application form.
5. Review your applications and supplementary documentation
Incomplete applications will be returned. To avoid delays, review your applications before submitting and ensure that all sections have been filled out and supplementary documentation has been included.
6. Submit your application
Submit your registration and security assessment applications forms by email, fax or mail to the Controlled Goods ProgramNote de bas de page 1:
What to expect from the registration process
Your application for registration will be assigned to a registration analyst for processing. There is no cost to register in the Controlled Goods Program. However, you may incur administrative costs when complying with the Defence Production Act.
- If your application is approved, the program will issue a certificate of registration that sets out:
- the period for which the registration is valid
- the conditions under which you may examine, possess or transfer a controlled good
- If your application is rejected or denied, the program will notify you of the reasons for the decision
Note
The registration of individuals or businesses in the Controlled Goods Program is not transferrable.
Processing times
An application for registration, along with all supporting documentation, can take 32 business days to process. Applications deemed incomplete during the registration process will take longer to process.
You may inquire about the status of your registration after a 4 week waiting period.
Renewing or terminating registration
Registration is valid for up to 5 years from the date of approval.
The expiry date is indicated on your certificate of registration. If extended, the expiry date is noted on your file in the Controlled Goods Program registration search.
Amending registration
Registered persons have an obligation to report to the program, any and all changes to the information provided in the application for registration form within 10 business days from the date of the change.
In regards to ownership changes, registered persons must inform the Controlled Goods Program of the name and address of any person that will, as a result of an acquisition, own 20% or more of the outstanding voting shares or interests of the business by the later of 32 business days before the date of an acquisition or 1 business day after the day on which they become aware of an acquisition.
The regulations stipulate in section 15(5) that a person subject to a security assessment must inform the Controlled Goods Program or the designated official, as the case may be, of any changes concerning criminal history within 5 business days.
In addition, the regulations stipulate in section 19(3) that registered persons must inform the Controlled Goods Program within 5 business days of any changes in an application for exemption.
The authorized individual must contact the Controlled Goods Program to start the amendment process.
Suspension of registration
Any person who fails to comply with the Defence Production Act may:
- have their registration with the Controlled Goods Program suspended or revoked
- face prosecution for failing to comply and be subject to a fine not exceeding $2,000,000, and/or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years
Who is exempt from registration
Some individuals are exempt from registration.
Exemptions from registration in the Controlled Goods Program
Comply with controlled goods registration
Registered persons in the Controlled Goods Program are responsible for maintaining compliance and advising the program of any changes to the original registration information. This includes the obligation to report any changes in the details of the ownership structure of a registered person. These ownership details may include a change of an individual owner, a change of a corporate owner, a change of an owner’s address, or a change in the percentage break-down of ownership.
Other examples of changes that must be reported to the program include, but are not limited to:
- a new location or addition of a new site where controlled goods will be kept
- changes to officers, directors, authorized individual, or designated officials
Registered persons are also responsible for:
- submitting security assessments for new designated officials, authorized individuals and owners for approval
- conducting security assessments of employees who will be examining, possessing or transferring controlled goods
- developing a security plan:
- for more information, consult the guideline for developing a security plan for safeguarding controlled goods
- preparing for compliance inspections
- providing training programs and security briefings to employees for the secure handling of controlled goods
- keeping records of controlled goods, security assessments and supporting documentation, exemptions and the transfer and disposal of controlled goods:
- reporting security breaches to the Controlled Goods Program
- submitting a report, every 6 months, of all security assessed individuals during that period:
- learn about the security assessments 6-month report, including information and submission requirements
Note
The RCMP is phasing out their name-based criminal record check process in favour of a system that uses electronic fingerprints to identify individuals. For security assessments applications of designated officials submitted to the Controlled Goods Program, a certified criminal record check based on fingerprints is already mandatory for criminal records checks.
For security assessment applications of authorized individuals and owners, as well as for security assessments of employees by their company’s designated official(s), the Controlled Goods Program recommends that a certified criminal record check based on fingerprints be used to conduct criminal record checks.
Learn how to comply
More information
- Controlled Goods Program roadmap: a step-by-step summary to register and comply
- Guideline on Controlled Goods Program registration—a detailed guide for registering your company in the program
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