- A TDG certificate expires 36 months after its date of issuance for road, rail and vessel transport, and 24 months after issuance for air transport.
- Certificates are issued by the current employer and are not transferable. A new employer issues its own certificate once it has reasonable grounds to believe the worker is adequately trained.
- A worker without a certificate may handle or transport dangerous goods only in the presence of, and under the direct supervision of, a person who is adequately trained and holds a certificate.
- Employers must keep the training record and a copy of the certificate until two years after it expires, and provide it to an inspector within 15 days of a written request.
- The expiry periods are fixed in the Regulations. They are not a course provider's preference.
A TDG certificate does not last forever, and it does not follow you from job to job. Under section 6.5 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, a training certificate expires 36 months after its date of issuance for transport by road vehicle, railway vehicle or vessel, and 24 months after issuance for transport by aircraft [1]. Because the employer issues it, Transport Canada states that training certificates are not transferable [2]. Most TDG certificate problems come down to three situations: the expiry date is near or has passed, the worker has a new employer, or the paperwork cannot be found.
How Long a TDG Certificate Is Valid
The Regulations set the expiry period by mode of transport [1]:
| Mode of transport | Certificate expires |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | 24 months after its date of issuance |
| Road vehicle, railway vehicle or vessel | 36 months after its date of issuance |
Transport Canada's training bulletin and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety both repeat the same periods, 24 months for aircraft and 36 months (3 years) for road [2][3]. The Safeworks Academy TDG course page also states that its certificate is valid for three years [4]. The three-year figure for ground transport comes from the Regulations themselves, not from any one course provider.
One detail is easy to miss. The Regulations count from the date of issuance, which is when the employer issues the certificate, not necessarily the day the worker finished a course. The Safeworks Academy TDG course page, for example, counts its three years from the date the course is successfully completed [4]. If the two dates differ, planning around the earlier one is the safer approach. That last point is our practical suggestion rather than a rule in the Regulations.
What a Valid TDG Certificate Must Contain
A course completion certificate and a TDG training certificate are not automatically the same document. Section 6.3 of the Regulations requires the certificate the employer issues to include [1]:
- the name and address of the employer's place of business;
- the employee's name;
- the date the certificate expires, preceded by the words "Expires on" or "Date d'expiration"; and
- the aspects of handling, offering for transport or transporting dangerous goods for which the employee is trained, including the specific topics in section 6.2.
The certificate must be signed by the employee and by the employer or another employee acting on the employer's behalf, or by the self-employed person in that person's own case [1]. There is no standard format, and it may be on paper or in electronic form [3]. That explains why the Safeworks Academy course page reminds learners to have their certificate signed by their employer [4]. A course certificate is evidence of training. The employer's signed certificate is what satisfies section 6.3.
Problem 1: Your TDG Certificate Has Expired or Is About to
Cause. The 36-month or 24-month period has run out, or will soon.
What the rules say. A person who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods must be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, or work under the direct supervision of someone who does [1]. An employer must not direct or allow an employee to do those things otherwise [1]. An expired certificate no longer meets that test.
Solution.
- Check the "Expires on" date on the certificate well before it passes.
- Complete refresher training that covers the topics your duties require under section 6.2.
- Ask the employer to issue a new certificate with a new expiry date, signed by both of you.
- Keep the old certificate and the new one together in the training record.
Training can also need to be updated before the certificate runs out. Transport Canada's earlier published version of Part 6 notes that the Regulations incorporate other documents by reference, and that additional training may be needed if regulatory changes affecting a person's duties take effect before the certificate expires [5]. That note appears on a page Transport Canada has since archived, so treat it as background and confirm current expectations with your employer.
Problem 2: You Changed Employers
Cause. Section 6.3 puts the duty to issue the certificate on the employer, so the certificate comes from the employer who issued it.
What the rules say. Transport Canada's bulletin states that training certificates are not transferable, and that a person who works for more than one employer at a time receives more than one certificate [2]. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety says the same: certificates are issued by the employee's current employer, and a person working for two companies needs two certificates [3].
Solution.
- Tell the new employer which TDG training you have completed, and when.
- Expect the new employer to decide whether that training is adequate for your new duties. Under section 6.3 it issues a certificate when it has reasonable grounds to believe you are adequately trained and will perform duties the training relates to [1].
- If your new duties involve different classes of dangerous goods or different activities, ask whether additional training is needed. Section 6.2 ties adequate training to your duties and the goods you will handle [1].
- Until the new employer issues its certificate, do dangerous goods work only in the presence of, and under the direct supervision of, a certified person [1]. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety describes that supervision as being physically accompanied [3].
Problem 3: You Cannot Find the Certificate
Cause. Paper copies get lost, and online course accounts get forgotten.
What the rules say. The employer or a self-employed person must keep a record of training or a statement of experience, and a copy of the training certificate, beginning on the date the certificate is issued and continuing until two years after the date it expires [1]. Within 15 days of a written request from an inspector, the employer must provide the certificate copy, the record of training and a description of the training material used [1]. A person who handles or transports dangerous goods, or directly supervises someone who does, must show the certificate or a copy to an inspector immediately on request [1].
Solution.
- Ask the employer that issued the certificate for a copy of its record. It is required to keep one.
- Ask the course provider whether a copy of the course completion record can be retrieved.
- Keep an electronic copy on your phone. The Regulations allow certificates in electronic form [3], and the immediate-request rule is much easier to meet with a copy in your pocket.
- If the certificate cannot be recovered, the employer can reassess your training and issue a new one with a fresh expiry date.
Problem 4: You Are Self-Employed
Cause. There is no employer to issue the certificate.
What the rules say. A self-employed person who has reasonable grounds to believe they are adequately trained, and who will perform duties the training relates to, issues their own certificate with the required contents, signed by that person [1]. The same record-keeping duty applies [1].
Solution. Complete training that covers the section 6.2 topics your work requires, issue yourself a certificate with all of the required contents, and keep the training record and the certificate until two years after the expiry date. Keep notes on why the course you chose fits your duties, since no one else will sign off on that judgment.
A Short Expiry Checklist for Employers
- Keep a register of every employee's certificate, issue date and expiry date.
- Set a reminder well before the expiry, using the shorter 24-month period for anyone whose duties include air transport.
- Make sure each certificate has all four required elements and both signatures.
- Retain records for two years after expiry.
- Reassess training whenever an employee's duties or the dangerous goods they handle change.
For help working out which roles need which depth of training, see our guide to TDG online certification in Alberta, and our comparison of WHMIS vs TDG if you are unsure which system a role falls under.
Next Step
If a TDG certificate is due for renewal, the TDG Online Training course from Safeworks Academy is a three-hour, self-paced course at $34.95 CAD. Its course page states that the certificate is valid for three years and lists the required certificate contents [4]. Finish the course, then give your employer the completion record so the employer can issue and sign the certificate with a new "Expires on" date. If your role also involves working with hazardous products at the workplace, the WHMIS (GHS) Online Certification Training course is a separate course for that [6].
Frequently Asked Questions
A TDG certificate expires 36 months after its date of issuance for transport by road vehicle, railway vehicle or vessel, and 24 months after issuance for transport by aircraft. Those periods are set in section 6.5 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.
No. Transport Canada states that training certificates are not transferable, because they are issued by the employee's current employer. A new employer issues its own certificate once it has reasonable grounds to believe the worker is adequately trained for the new duties.
An expired certificate no longer meets the training requirement. You may handle or transport dangerous goods only in the presence of, and under the direct supervision of, a person who is adequately trained and holds a valid certificate, until you complete refresher training and your employer issues a new certificate.
The certificate must be signed by the employee and by the employer or another employee acting on the employer's behalf. A self-employed person who issues their own certificate signs it personally. The signatures sit alongside the required contents: the employer's name and address, the employee's name, an expiry date and the aspects of dangerous goods handling covered.
A person who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods, or directly supervises someone who does, must give the certificate or a copy to an inspector immediately on request. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety says the certificate may be on paper or in electronic form, and that a worker performing TDG duties should have a hard copy or electronic copy of a valid certificate on their person.
Sources
- Justice Laws Website — "Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (SOR/2001-286), Part 6, Training (sections 6.1 to 6.8)" — laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
- Government of Canada, Transport Canada — "TDG Bulletin: TDG Training" — tc.canada.ca
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) — "Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) - Training (Road)" (last revised 2024-01-09) — ccohs.ca
- Safeworks Academy — "TDG Online Training" course page (course by Danatec Educational Services) — courses.safeworksacademy.ca
- Government of Canada, Transport Canada — "Part 6 - Training" (archived page, consolidated to SOR/2019-101) — tc.canada.ca
- Safeworks Academy — "WHMIS (GHS) Online Certification Training" course page — courses.safeworksacademy.ca
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal or regulatory compliance advice. Employers and workers should confirm their specific obligations directly with the responsible regulator (for example Alberta Occupational Health and Safety, the Government of Alberta or Transport Canada, as applicable) or a qualified compliance professional.