A WorkSafeBC clearance letter is a document from British Columbia's workers' compensation board confirming whether a business is registered with WorkSafeBC and paying its premiums. If you hire a contractor who is not making required payments, you could be held responsible for premiums related to the work they did for you, and a clearance letter addressed to you is how you protect yourself. WorkSafeBC advises getting one before and after you receive services from a contractor.
What a WorkSafeBC clearance letter tells you
WorkSafeBC describes clearance letters as notices that tell employers and homeowners whether a firm, contractor or subcontractor is complying with its registration and payment requirements. The letter reports a status for the firm, and the status is what matters.
The statuses WorkSafeBC publishes include:
- Active and in good standing: the firm is registered and up to date with its payments.
- Active and in good standing with advance clearance: the firm also qualifies for GoldStar clearance (see below).
- Cancelled and in good standing: the firm has closed its account and owes no premiums up to the cancellation date.
- Active and delinquent or cancelled and delinquent: the firm owes premiums, and you could be held responsible for premiums related to your contract.
- Recently registered, active and not reported or unable to comment: WorkSafeBC cannot yet confirm the firm's clearance status, so check again later or contact WorkSafeBC.
The letter says nothing about the contractor's liability insurance, licences or safety record.
If you hire contractors: the liability it addresses
WorkSafeBC states that if you hire a registered contractor who is not making required payments, you could be liable for insurance premiums relating to the work or service they provided to you. This applies to prime contractors on construction projects, businesses and property managers bringing in trades, and even homeowners acting as their own prime contractor, who WorkSafeBC warns could be held jointly liable.
To be protected, WorkSafeBC sets two conditions. The clearance letter must be addressed to you, and it must confirm the contractor was "active and in good standing" for the entire period of your contract. A letter the contractor generated for a different customer, or a single letter from before work started, may not cover you.
- Get a clearance letter, addressed to your organization, before the contractor starts.
- On longer contracts, many organizations check again partway through, since status can change.
- Get a final letter after the work is done, before you release final payment, so the whole contract period is covered.
- File each letter with the contract or work order it relates to.
How to get and verify a WorkSafeBC clearance
Most clearance letters come from WorkSafeBC's online clearance letter application. You search by the firm's WorkSafeBC account number (six or nine digits) or its precise legal or trade name, and you can search up to 150 firms at once. Because you request the letter yourself, it is addressed to you, which is the version that protects you.
If you manage many vendors, WorkSafeBC also offers clearance alerts through its online services account. You manage a list of contractors and are notified when a status changes, which reduces the need for manual re-checks.
If you are a contractor, the most useful thing you can do is keep your account registered, your premiums paid and your payroll reports filed, so any customer who searches you sees a good standing status. Give customers your exact legal name and WorkSafeBC account number so their search finds the right firm.
Some requests go through WorkSafeBC's Employer Service Centre by phone or fax, such as a clearance confirming a firm is not registered, a clearance for a limited time period, one that needs project numbers or comments, or one related to an asset purchase.
How long a clearance is honoured, and GoldStar
A WorkSafeBC clearance does not carry a fixed expiry window. A letter showing "active and in good standing" is honoured up to the date to which the firm has satisfied its premium remittance requirements, which is usually its most recent payment date. Work done after that date is not yet covered, which is why WorkSafeBC recommends checking again after services are delivered.
GoldStar clearance (also called advance clearance) extends that. For firms that qualify, WorkSafeBC honours the clearance up to a future date shown in the body of the letter, usually the start of the next quarter. To qualify, a firm must have had an active account for 24 of the last 36 months, be current on premium payments and payroll reports, and owe nothing else to WorkSafeBC. WorkSafeBC also notes that firms who prepay are cleared to January 1 of the following year.
For contractors, qualifying for GoldStar means your customers can rely on one letter for longer, and you field fewer clearance requests.
How it compares with Ontario's WSIB clearance
| Item | WorkSafeBC (BC) | WSIB (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Clearance letter | Clearance certificate |
| What it confirms | Registered and paying premiums | Registered and account in good standing |
| How long it covers | Up to the date premiums are paid, or a future GoldStar date | Up to 90 days from issue, most expire on set quarterly dates |
| Who gets it | The hiring party requests it, addressed to them | The contractor gets it, the principal can verify online |
The practical difference is timing. An Ontario clearance has a known end date, as explained in how long a WSIB clearance is valid. A BC letter looks backward to the last payment, so a final check after the work matters more. For the Ontario basics, see what is a WSIB clearance certificate.
Keeping it current
Treat the WorkSafeBC clearance as a recurring check rather than a one-time document: one letter at onboarding, a re-check on long contracts, and a final letter before the last payment. Add it to your contractor compliance checklist alongside insurance and licences. Vendorpass tracks clearance dates per vendor, uses each province's own name for the clearance, and sends reminders before they lapse. Rules can change, so check with WorkSafeBC for your situation.