Regulations and restrictions

Objectives of the Deputization Program

• To reduce private parking violations by authorizing owners, on-site personnel, or their agents to issue Parking Infraction Notices for motor vehicles parked on private property
• To enforce infractions in a more timely manner than could be achieved by By-law Enforcement Officers dispatched to the property
• To reduce the number of requests made to By-law Officers for service to private properties – as a result freeing resources for right-of-way and traffic management.

Interested parties can begin the authorization process by collecting the necessary information required in the Deputization Program Application.

The completed application should be forwarded to the address found on this page. Upon review of the application, the By-law & Regulatory Services Office will contact you.

Should you have any questions in regards to the application or the process of Deputization Program, please contact ppea@ottawa.ca.

• Application [ PDF - 158kb ]
• Certificate of insurance (sample) [ PDF - 39kb ] 

Rules and Regulations for Private Property Owners

• The Deputization Appointment provides the authority to issue Parking Infraction Notices for motor vehicles parked on private property without the consent of the property owner as defined in Bylaw 2017-301, or motor vehicles illegally parked in a signed fire route or a signed disabled parking space.
• The Deputization Appointment does not provide the authority to tow, move or remove the motor vehicles. Any towing, moving or removing of the motor vehicles shall be undertaken only with the presence and assistance of a City of Ottawa Parking Control Officer or, in an emergency situation only, an Ottawa Police Officer, except in accordance with the Towing Pilot as described below.

Private Parking Enforcement Agency Towing Program

As part of the current Private Parking Enforcement Agencies program, PPEAs deputized by the City are not permitted to tow or move vehicles without the presence of a City of Ottawa Parking Control, By-law Enforcement Officer or a Police Officer

The Private Parking Enforcement Agency Towing Program permits qualifying PPEAs to tow vehicles from the private properties for which they provide enforcement , without having a Parking Control, By-law or Police Officer on-site.

The following are the minimum requirements for participation in the pilot:

• The PPEA* must be licensed in accordance with Schedule 30 to the Licensing By-law, relating to Private Parking Enforcement Agencies, unless exempted under the by-law, and must have entered into a Cost Recovery Agreement with the City;
• The owner or occupier of the relevant property must consent to such services on the property from which the tow is to occur;
• The tow may occur only upon the third private property parking infraction on the same property for the same plated motor vehicle;
• Upon the third offence, in addition to the tow, a City of Ottawa Parking Infraction Notice (a ticket) must be issued; and,
• The tow request must be arranged through By-law & Regulatory Services, which will dispatch a City of Ottawa contracted tow truck (Metro or Gervais).

*PPEAs eligible to participate in the Towing Pilot:

1. Algonquin College
2. Capital Parking
3. Capital Security
4. Capital Systems
5. Carleton Parking
6. CHEO
7. Garda Security
8. Indigo
9. Macdonald-Cartier Ottawa Airport
10. Murray & Murray
11. Ottawa Community Housing
12. Ottawa Hospital
13. Phoenix Security
14. Praetorian Garde
15. Precise Park Link
16. Queensway Carleton Hospital
17. Response Security
18. Royal Ottawa Hospital
19. University of Ottawa

Application Requirements – Property Owner

PLEASE NOTE: In this section the term “owner” (when used in relation to property) denotes “the registered owner of the property”.

The Property Owner must submit along with the attached application form the following materials:

• Proof of property ownership (i.e., City of Ottawa tax bill) or (copy of Board meeting minutes if Condominium Corporation);
• Certificate of Insurance (sample attached …note highlighted requirements);
• Written request naming nominees for Deputization;
• Properties for which nominees will be deputized;
• Completed Criminal Records Check (green form). This may be obtained by attending any of the Ottawa Police Service Branches. The check must not be older than 90 days.

Conditions for Deputization

Each nominee for Deputization Program shall:

• Be either the registered owner of the property, or a person authorized in writing by the Private Property Owner to enforce the parking regulations on the property;
• Be approved by the Ottawa Police Services Department;
• Have been appointed by Ottawa City Council as a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer to enforce relevant provisions of the Traffic and parking By-law Number 2017-301 and the Fire Routes Bylaw Number 2003-499, as applicable;
• Have participated in and passed the City of Ottawa Training Session on the issuance of Parking Infraction Notices under Part II of the Provincial Offences Act.

Indemnification

• The Private Property Owner or his/her agent shall provide evidence of such insurance (Certificate of Insurance or Insurance Policy) to the City of Ottawa prior to the commencement of the Deputization Program, and shall keep that evidence current at all times.
• The Private Property Owner shall be responsible for the act or acts of each and every deputized individual in the same manner and to the same extent as if such act or acts were performed by the Private Property Owner.

Regulations

• The Private Property Owner agrees that:
  • All issued Certificate of Parking Infractions, spoiled Parking Infraction Notices and Certificate Control Lists will be remitted within 3 business days following the day of issue to one of the following Client Service Centre locations:
    • 110 Laurier Avenue West (Ottawa)
    • 100 Constellation Crescent. (Nepean)
    • 580 Terry Fox Drive (Kanata)
    • 255 Centrum Boulevard (Orleans)
  • Upon receipt of a Notice of Trial it will be responded to promptly.
  • The By-law Services branch will be advised immediately in writing when an appointed Municipal Law Enforcement Officer is no longer in the employ of the Private Property Owner or is no longer authorized to enforce parking regulations on the property of the Private Property Owner;
  • For each new person to be deputized, the Private Property Owner will submit a written request with the name of the person to be deputized, a completed Personal Record Search Form (with the appropriate payment), as well as Proof of Insurance as described in Section 3.
• The Private Property Owner will respond in writing within ten (10) days to any inquiry/correspondence from the public regarding Provincial Infraction Notice’s issued by deputized personnel.
• The Private Property Owner will ensure that deputized personnel communicate effectively, courteously and tactfully with all persons having questions about parking tickets issued.
• The Private Property Owner will ensure that deputized personnel will appear in Provincial Offences court, as required, to defend tickets issued.
• The Private Property Owner understands and agrees that the Corporation shall retain all monies collected, as a result of the issuance of Parking Infraction Notices.
• The Private Property Owner shall observe and comply with all laws of Ontario and Canada, as well as by-laws, rules, regulations, notices, orders and demands of the Corporation.
• The Private Property Owner understands and agrees that any abuse of the deputization privilege or a breach of any of the rules or regulations of the Deputization Program may result in the revocation of the authority to issue Parking Infraction Notices.

Contact

Any notice required respecting the Deputization Program must be mailed to the City of Ottawa by personal delivery or by registered mail, postage prepaid and addressed to:

City of Ottawa
Emergency and Protective Services
By-law & Regulatory Services
735 Industrial Avenue, 2^nd floor
Ottawa, ON K1G 5J1

Attention: Deputization Program