Your file is in good hands
The Certification Department maintains the Register of licence holders and manages agency and broker licence operations.
Applications and call management
The Certification Department is responsible for processing applications:
- for issuance, modification, suspension or revocation of licences;
- for maintenance of acquired rights;
- for updating of information; and
- for authorization to practice within a business corporation.
These applications must be made in writing by completing the appropriate Certification form, and forwarded by mail, email or fax.
A complete application will be processed as soon as possible, except in April, during the annual licence maintenance period, where it requires a longer processing time.
Like applications, calls are handled as they are received. If you leave a message on the Certification Department’s voicemail, it is important to state the reason for your call, your licence number, your name, and a phone number where you can be reached.
For optimum service and to avoid tying up the lines, we ask that you refrain from making multiple calls and leaving multiple messages.
Licence issuance and modification
In accordance with the Real Estate Brokerage Act and the regulations thereunder, the Certification Department may issue the following licences:
real estate broker licence and real estate agency licence.
Each of these licences allows the holder to work in a specific field of practice. The Certification Department is also responsible for processing applications for licence modification.
Licence suspension
The Certification Department may suspend a licence for various reasons, including:
- at the broker’s request;
- at the agency’s request following termination of employment;
- following the suspension or revocation of an agency’s licence;
- pursuant to a Discipline Committee decision;
- if the holder fails to attend a mandatory continuing education activity, or
- for any other reason stipulated in the Regulation respecting the issue of broker’s and agency licences.
A suspended licence is one for which the chargeable fees have been paid but which is not active. The holder of a suspended licence may not carry out brokerage transactions.
Once the reason for the licence suspension no longer exists, a broker may request that the suspension be lifted in order to resume his brokerage activities.
Licence revocation
The Certification Department may revoke a licence for various reasons, including:
- at the broker’s request;
- further to a failure to pay licence maintenance fees; or
- for any other reason stipulated in the Regulation respecting the issue of broker’s and agency licences.
In this case the broker is no longer a licence holder and may not carry out brokerage transactions.
In order to resume his brokerage activities, the broker must apply for issuance of a new licence.
Maintenance of acquired rights
The Certification Department is responsible for processing applications for the maintenance of acquired rights.
Acquired rights consist in the possibility of returning to practice without having to successfully complete a recognized basic training program and pass an OACIQ certification examination.
The acquired rights period is 12 months following the revocation of a broker’s licence. During this period, the broker may apply for a new licence in order to return to the practice or maintain his acquired rights for an additional year.
Updating of your information
Are you moving? Don’t forget to send us your new address so we can forward the information you need.
In fact all licence holders must inform the Certification Department without delay of any change to the information required under the Act or a regulation; such changes also include bankruptcy or conviction for a criminal, ethical or penal offence.
In addition, licence holders must provide a new photo every five years. Because the photo appears on the licence and in the OACIQ’s Register of licence holders, it must be current for identification and public protection purposes.
Finally, the Certification Department is responsible for the mandatory information updating process, which takes place each year as part of the licence maintenance process.
A broker who fails to update his information could have his licence suspended.
Authorization to operate within a business corporation
The Certification Department issues authorizations to operate within a business corporation for brokers who work for an agency and wish to receive their remuneration through a business corporation.
Three most frequently asked questions –Certification Department
1. I would like to cease my activities as a broker for some time: shall I ask for the revocation or suspension of my licence?
This depends on your situation and duration of your break. Here a few explanations that will help you make the right decision.
Licence suspension
A suspended licence is a licence whose fees have been paid but is not active. In this case, the broker is the holder of a suspended licence. He cannot perform any real estate brokerage activity.
Once the cause that led to the licence suspension no longer exists, it is possible to request a lifting of this suspension. Some fees apply. Moreover, the suspended licence holder must complete the training activities required under the mandatory Continuing Education Program to be able to request a lifting of his licence suspension.
There are several reasons for a licence suspension. To request the lifting of a licence suspension, the licensee must have corrected the situation that led to the suspension of his licence, send the Request for lifting of licence suspension form and pay the related fees, in addition to fulfilling any other conditions.
Moreover, the suspended licence holder must complete the training activities required under the Mandatory Continuing Education Program to be able to request a lifting of his licence suspension.
If the broker wishes to maintain his licence suspension, he must pay the licence fees on April 30 of each year.
Licence revocation
A revoked licence is a licence whose fees have not been paid on the annual maintenance date–April 30–or that has been revoked during the year upon the broker’s request or for other reasons set out in section 19 of the Regulation respecting the issue of broker’s and agency licences. In this case, the broker is no longer a licence holder. He cannot perform any real estate brokerage activity.
It is possible to apply for a licence again within 12 months following licence revocation, without having to complete a recognized basic training program and pass an OACIQ certification exam again. In this case, licence issuance application fees apply, and your file shall be reviewed. Please note that if you have already paid your licence maintenance fees for the current year, you will not be billed again. Moreover, you must complete the training activities required under the mandatory Continuing Education Program to be able to apply for a licence within 12 months following the revocation.
You also have the opportunity to simply “maintain your acquired rights” for another year. For more information on this process, please contact the Certification Department.
Here is a table showing the difference between a suspension and a revocation with regards to costs:
SUSPENSION
None
- Licence maintenance as at April 30 if the suspension period overlaps that date
- Suspension lifting application
- Suspension lifting
REVOCATION
The Liability Insurance Fund Premium for the remaining months until April (the current month is not refunded)
- None
OR
- Maintenance of acquired rights as at April 30, if you wish to maintain your rights at that date
- Licence issuance application
- Photo
- Consent form for verification of criminal record
- Additional documents and forms in case of a bankruptcy or conviction
- Application review
- Research and check of criminal record
- Contribution to the Indemnity Fund
- Liability Insurance Fund Premium
- Licence fees if they have not been paid during the licence maintenance period in April
Acquired rights consist in the possibility of returning to practice without having to successfully complete a recognized basic training program and pass an OACIQ certification examination.
Following your licence suspension, you will benefit from a 12-month period of acquired rights. Before the expiry of this 12-month period, you may apply for a licence or maintain your acquired rights for another year. For more information on this process, please contact the Certification Department.
If you don’t avail yourself of one of these options, your acquired rights will be lost. In this case, if you wish to practise real estate again, you should successfully complete a recognized basic training program and pass an OACIQ certification exam before applying for a licence. (Regulation respecting the issue of broker’s and agency licences, section 1.1 : As of 1 September 2013, has passed one of the training programs recognized in an agreement between the Organization and an educational institution and that deals with the skills a broker must have, provided for in the system of reference available on the Organization’s official website, according to the licence applied for or licence restrictions.)
Note that you may also have to complete a mandatory continuing education course prescribed by the OACIQ to proceed. In addition, during your acquired rights period, you are subject to the OACIQ's Mandatory Continuing Education Program and must therefore complete the previous cycles, in addition to a Refresher Training Program, if applicable.
In addition to updating your personal contact information, including your email address, you should immediately notify the Certification Department of any change in the information that was already provided when you applied for a licence or when you carried out your last information update. You must, among other things, inform us of any criminal act or penal or ethical offence you have been found guilty of, or have pleaded guilty to, as well as any bankruptcy.
If this is the case, your file will then be examined to determine whether it should be reviewed by the Licence Issue and Maintenance Committee (LIMC). For example, if the offence or the criminal act is brokerage-related and public protection so warrants, the LIMC may decide to impose one of the measures provided for under the Act. In accordance with section 38 of the Real Estate Brokerage Act, the OACIQ may suspend, revoke, or impose restrictions or conditions on a licence when its holder experienced such a situation.
If these are not the questions and answers you are looking for, please check out the entire Frequently Asked Questions of the Certification Department.
To reach the Certification Department
Call 450-462-9800 or 1-800-440-7170, or email us at [email protected].
