Guide
Transport & Vehicle Records in Canada
Driver and vehicle records in Canada are provincial, and each province's motor vehicle agency releases a driver abstract or a vehicle history only to the driver or owner, an insurer or someone with written consent. Ontario's ServiceOntario, British Columbia's ICBC, Alberta's registry agents, Quebec's SAAQ, Manitoba Public Insurance and Saskatchewan's SGI each sell their own abstracts and vehicle information packages. There is no national driver record search open to the public.
The federal layer belongs to Transport Canada, and much of it is public. The Canadian Civil Aircraft Register shows the owner of every registered aircraft, the vessel registration search shows the owner of every registered ship, the recalls database lists every vehicle, tire and child seat recall, and the Transportation Safety Board publishes its full investigation reports on air, rail, marine and pipeline accidents.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Federal registries that are public
Transport Canada's aircraft register is searched by registration mark, owner name or aircraft type and returns the owner's name and address. The vessel registry lists ships registered in Canada with the owner and the port of registry, and the pleasure craft licence is a separate system. The motor vehicle safety recalls database goes back to 1970 and is searchable by make, model and year. The Canadian Police Information Centre offers a public check of whether a vehicle or a bicycle has been reported stolen, by vehicle identification number or serial number.
- Transport CanadaAviation, marine, rail and road safety and the federal registries
- Canadian Civil Aircraft RegisterOwner and details of every registered aircraft
- Vehicle recalls databaseRecalls on vehicles, tires and child car seats since 1970
- Transportation Safety BoardInvestigation reports on air, rail, marine and pipeline accidents
- CPIC stolen vehicle checkPublic check of stolen vehicles and bicycles by identification number
Guide
Provincial driver and vehicle records
A driver abstract shows convictions, demerit points and licence status and is bought by the driver from the provincial agency, usually online, with a three year and a five year version. A used vehicle buyer in Ontario receives the seller's Used Vehicle Information Package, which shows the registration history and any liens, and other provinces sell a similar vehicle history or lien search through the personal property registry. Commercial vehicle history reports such as CARFAX Canada combine provincial data with insurance claims.
- ServiceOntarioOntario driver abstracts, vehicle history and the Used Vehicle Information Package
- ICBCBritish Columbia driver records and vehicle claims history
- SAAQQuebec driver and vehicle records
- Manitoba Public InsuranceManitoba driver and vehicle records
- SGISaskatchewan driver and vehicle records
- Canadian Public Records DirectoryProvincial pages with each province's registries
Straight answers
Common questions about Canadian transport records
Can I look up someone's driving record in Canada?
No. Driver abstracts are provincial and are released only to the driver, an insurer or someone with the driver's written consent. There is no public driver record search.
Is the Canadian aircraft register public?
Yes. Transport Canada's Canadian Civil Aircraft Register can be searched by registration mark, owner or type and shows the owner's name and address.
How do I check if a vehicle is stolen in Canada?
The Canadian Police Information Centre offers a public check by vehicle identification number or bicycle serial number that shows whether the item has been reported stolen.