OCOntario Certification Registry

Environmental Certificate Record

The ODP card: Ontario's refrigerant handling certificate

The Ozone Depletion Prevention certificate card is what lets a person legally purchase and handle refrigerants in Ontario. It comes from a one-day approved course with a 75% pass mark, it is valid for five years, and it is issued under environmental law, a different regulator from both the skilled trades and the TSSA fuel certificates.

Fast facts

CertificateOzone Depletion Prevention (ODP) certificate card, commonly searched as ODP card, ODS card or refrigerant handling certificate
Legal basisO. Reg. 463/10 (Ozone Depleting Substances and Other Halocarbons), s. 34, under the Environmental Protection Act
Required forPurchasing refrigerants, and servicing or testing refrigeration equipment that contains a refrigerant (s. 22 (1))
CoversRefrigerants containing ozone depleting substances (CFCs, HCFCs) and other halocarbons (HFCs); not hydrocarbon refrigerants
How it is earnedA one-day government-approved course with a mark of 75% or higher, plus the fee
Validity5 years from the date of issue (O. Reg. 463/10, s. 34 (7))
If it expiresYou must take the training course again to be re-certified
Course deliveryHRAI and delivery partners across Ontario; Local Union 787 members through the JTAC

Last verified August 19, 2026 against the sources listed below.

Do you need a certificate to buy or handle refrigerant in Ontario?

Yes. By law, only a certified technician may remove, discharge, handle and dispose of refrigerants containing ozone depleting substances such as CFCs and HCFCs, or other halocarbons such as HFCs. Under O. Reg. 463/10, s. 22 (1), no person may service or test refrigeration equipment that contains a refrigerant unless certified under s. 34, and the person or their employer must own, or have contracted immediate access to, equipment capable of collecting and capturing the refrigerant. Refrigerant sales records must include the purchaser's certificate number and expiry date (s. 30).

What the ODP card does not let you do

The ODP card alone does not authorize working on or fixing refrigeration equipment. Equipment work is trade territory: in Ontario that means a Certificate of Qualification in refrigeration and air conditioning systems mechanic (313A) or residential air conditioning systems mechanic (313D), both compulsory trades. A working HVAC technician typically carries three separate credentials: the trade C of Q, a G.2 gas technician certificate for the fuel side, and the ODP card for the refrigerant side.

How do you get the ODP card?

  1. Take the approved environmental awareness course. A one-day course approved by the Director under O. Reg. 463/10, s. 34 (1), offered by HRAI in Toronto and by delivery partners across Ontario. Local Union 787 members train through the Joint Training and Apprenticeship Committee.
  2. Score 75% or higher and pay the fee; course fees vary by provider.
  3. Receive the card. It is issued after training and is valid for five years from the date of issue.

How often does the ODP card need to be renewed?

Every five years, and the deadline matters more than most: renew before the expiry date printed on the card, because an expired card cannot simply be renewed. The ministry is explicit that letting the card expire means taking the full training course again to be re-certified. Renewals and replacements go through HRAI with the applicable fee.

Certified in another province?

Under the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009, s. 10.1 and O. Reg. 199/25, workers certified in another province or territory can be deemed certified in Ontario for up to 6 months by submitting a complete As of Right application. A notice of receipt is issued within 10 business days, and from that notice you can work while pursuing full certification. A complete application for full ODP certification is decided within 30 calendar days. Deemed certification is only available once, so the ministry encourages applying for full certification.

Working on federal property?

Refrigeration systems on federal lands, federal works and federal government facilities fall under the Federal Halocarbon Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-110) instead of the Ontario regulation. Contractors who service equipment for federal clients should confirm which regime applies before the work starts.

Related certificates and trades

Official verification sources

How this record is built: the certification requirement, validity period and labour mobility pathway are read from O. Reg. 463/10 and the ministry's own page; course delivery details come from the ministry and HRAI. The page is assembled from those verified facts and reviewed before publishing. Facts not verified against a primary source are marked as not published rather than estimated.