A WSIB clearance is valid for up to 90 days from the date it is issued, and it can be renewed. Most clearances expire on one of four fixed dates each year: February 20, May 20, August 20 and November 20. For any engagement longer than a few weeks, you should expect to collect more than one clearance from the same contractor.
How long a WSIB clearance is valid
The key words are up to 90 days. A clearance does not always run for a full 90 days from the day the contractor downloads it. Because most clearances end on a common expiry date, a certificate issued a few weeks before one of those dates may only be valid for a few weeks.
That is why the expiry date printed on the certificate matters more than the issue date. When you receive a clearance, read the validity period on the document itself rather than assuming three months of coverage.
The four common expiry dates
Most WSIB clearances expire on these dates each year:
- February 20
- May 20
- August 20
- November 20
If you work with many contractors, these dates are useful for planning. A large share of your vendor clearances may lapse on the same day, so it helps to send renewal requests a week or two ahead rather than chasing them all afterwards.
Why a lapsed clearance is a problem
While a clearance is valid, WSIB waives its right to hold you, as the principal, liable for the contractor's unpaid premiums and other amounts owed, including interest, charges and surcharges. That protection only covers the validity period. If work continues after the clearance expires and no new one is in place, you can be held liable for those amounts.
In construction, clearances must be in place before work begins and for the full duration of the work. On a renovation, a roof replacement or a long service contract, that means keeping a continuous chain of valid clearances, not just one at the start.
A contractor whose WSIB account is not up to date cannot be issued a clearance. If a renewal does not arrive, ask why before the next site visit.
A simple renewal routine
Clearances are free and contractors can get them online through WSIB's quick access service without logging in, so renewal is not a burden for a contractor whose account is current. A short routine on your side keeps the gaps small.
- Record the expiry date of every clearance you receive, not just the date you received it.
- About two weeks before each common expiry date, list the vendors whose clearances are about to lapse.
- Ask those vendors for a new clearance, and include the date you need it by.
- Verify each new clearance through WSIB's online lookup, which lets principals search by business name and other details.
- Hold off on scheduling new work for any vendor without a valid clearance on file.
Recordkeeping
Principals and contractors must keep clearance records for at least three years. Keep each certificate as its own record rather than overwriting the previous one, so you can show coverage for any past date if a question comes up later. A simple log with the vendor name, issue date, expiry date and date verified is usually enough.
For out of province contractors, the equivalent documents have their own names and rules, such as the WorkSafeBC clearance letter, the Alberta WCB clearance letter, the Manitoba WCB clearance and the Quebec CNESST attestation de conformité. Check the validity period on each document rather than applying Ontario's timing.
Keeping it current
Treat the clearance as a recurring item, like a certificate of insurance, rather than a one time onboarding document. If you need a refresher on what the certificate is and what it confirms, see what a WSIB clearance certificate is. For the full list of documents to track, use the contractor compliance checklist.
Vendorpass records each clearance's expiry date and asks the vendor for a new one ahead of time, so renewals arrive before the old certificate runs out.