Who needs a Safety Fitness Certificate in Manitoba?
Safety fitness certificates (SFCs) are issued to motor carriers who operate regulated vehicles. Unless the regulated vehicle is exempt from the requirement to operate under a valid SFC , one must be obtained prior to vehicle registration.
Section 312.1 of the Highway Traffic Act defines a motor carrier as:
- the vehicle owner
- person or company using the vehicle as part of an enterprise or activity
- person or company who has control over when, how and by whom the vehicle is used in an enterprise or activity
Carriers operating the following regulated vehicles are exempt from the requirement to operate under a valid SFC under section 1(2) of the Regulated Vehicles and Motor Carriers Regulation :
- Regulated vehicles used exclusively for personal use
- Farm trucks registered in the farm trucks registration category (A6 classification) of the Vehicle Registration Regulation that have a registered gross vehicle weight of 4,500 kg and over, do not need an SFC when operating solely within Manitoba and for purposes related directly to their own farming goods.
When are carriers with farm plated trucks required to hold a valid SFC?
- Carriers operating farm plated trucks with a registered gross vehicle weight of 4,500 kg and over, are required to hold a SFC when travelling outside of Manitoba under section 7(1) of the federal Motor Vehicle Transport Act.
- Farm plated vehicles used for any commercial purposes for all, or a portion of the year, require commercial plates (C1 classification) and a valid SFC.
Generally, the person or entity (corporation) who is the ‘Registered To / Insured By’ of the regulated vehicle is required to obtain and maintain the SFC for the vehicle. Additional information about drivers and owners:
- The driver of the regulated vehicle does not need a safety fitness certificate unless the driver is also the motor carrier as defined in the Highway Traffic Act.
- Even if the driver of the regulated vehicle is the vehicle owner, the driver does not need their own safety fitness certificate if their vehicle is registered under another company’s name and operated exclusively under that company’s control.
