Ontario. Registrar of Motor Vehicles

• Registrar of Motor Vehicles

• Ontario. Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister and Registrar of Motor Vehicles

• Ontario. Registrar of Motor Vehicles Division

• Ontario. Office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles

The Office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles of the Ontario Department of Transport was established in 1958, assuming the responsibilities and functions formerly carried out by the Motor Vehicles Branch. At this time, however, the title of the division was the Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister and Registrar of Motor Vehicles. By 1960, however, this was reduced simply to the Office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, when Mr. A.G. MacNab, formerly the Assistant Deputy Minister and Registrar of Motor Vehicles, became the Deputy Minister, and Mr. W.M. Earl assumed the position of Registrar of Motor Vehicles. By this time, a number of branches reported to the Registrar, including: the Accident Claims Branch, the Motor Vehicle Licence Branch (later the Driver Licensing Branch), the Driver Education Branch, the Vehicle Inspection Branch, the Traffic Engineering Branch, and the Driver Control Branch.

In 1965, the Office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles was briefly assumed by the Deputy Minister, A.G. MacNab, but by 1961, when Mr. MacNab retired, the Office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles was re- established under the direction of Mr. R.H. Humphries. In 1968, the various branches within the Office were consolidated and reorganized into four branches: the Driver Branch, the Vehicle Branch, the Highway Carrier Branch, and the Oversize and Overweight Permits Branch.

In 1971, the Ontario Department of Transport was merged with the Ontario Department of Highways, and the Office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles became part of the new Ontario Department (and later Ministry) of Transportation and Communications. In 1972, the name of the Office changed to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles Division. By 1973, however, the division was replaced with the Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister of Drivers and Vehicles.

The Registrar of Motor Vehicles was responsible for the licensing of vehicles and drivers in Ontario. The Registrar also developed studies and reports on problems in traffic in municipal streets, conducted vehicle inspections, licensed bus and truck companies, and conducted driver examinations.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Ministry of Transportation and Communications Annual Reports, 1971-1980; Government of Ontario Telephone Directories, 1962- 1973.

Canadiana Authorities, 1996-12- 24.

Archivist(s):
Lisa Singer, Mark Epp