A pilot program to make it easier for dealerships in Ontario to register new car sales by easing provincial government red tape has worked so well it’s going to be expanded.
The Digital Dealership Registration (DDR) program was launched in March 2020 to allow around 40 designated dealerships to register new passenger vehicles online and issue permits and plates directly to the consumer. By eliminating paperwork and time-consuming trips to ServiceOntario locations, the program was designed so dealerships would be able to save time and money and Ontarians would be able to take advantage of quick registration of their new vehicle purchases.
The program had already been in effect in Quebec, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Our government is always working to find new and innovative ways to leverage technology to benefit the lives of Ontarians,” said Ministry of Public Service and Delivery spokesperson Praveen Senthinathan in an interview with Canadian auto dealer.
Senthinathan is anticipating many more dealerships will take part over time as additional transaction types are introduced for the registration of pre-owned vehicles, vehicle transfers and vehicle permit replacements, all of which must currently be conducted in person. He said feedback will be gathered throughout the process to make improvements and ensure the best user experience for dealerships.
Senthinathan said that once the DDR program is fully implemented, it will help move online up to 4.8 million dealership registration transactions annually.
The Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) lauded the legislation change when it was announced, saying it is the most important policy announcement made by the Ontario Government in a generation.
Frank Notte, TADA’s Director of Government Relations, told Canadian auto dealer his association is excited about the success of the DDR program to date and the possibilities it presents to enhance the customer experience.
“As more services are added, dealers and consumers will benefit from DDR’s potential to modernize the car buying process,” said Notte.
Dealerships are able to sign up to participate in the DDR program by submitting their information to the website https://www.ontario.ca/page/digital-dealership-registration-program.
