To participate in racing in Ontario, licensees must:

• Ensure they hold a valid licence
• Know their AGCO licence number so their licence status can be verified in iAGCO
• Be prepared to provide government photo identification to verify their identity

With the launch of iAGCO services, the AGCO no longer issues AGCO horse racing licence cards (licensee photo identification cards) or validation stickers.

Notes:

Licensees are not required to print their licence and carry it with them, provided they have government identification and know their licence number.

Licensees who wish to access their licence certificate or wallet-size cut out online at www.agco.ca/iAGCO must first create an iAGCO account. For more information, please see the iAGCO Tutorial: How to create an account at www.agco.ca/videos-and-webinars.

How to look up the status of a licence on iAGCO:

Note: Anyone can look up a licence in iAGCO and you do not need an iAGCO account or access code to do so.

1. Go online on any device to the iAGCO portal at www.agco.ca/iAGCO
2. Scroll down to Search for Licences/Permits/Authorizations/Registrations on the home page
   
3. Click Search

4. ​The most effective way to search for an individual is to use their licence number:

   1. Enter the licence number in the Number field. (TIP: Starting this year, all horse people’s licences begin with the letters HP), then click SEARCH
      
   2. You will then see Licence Number, Type, Name, Address, Effective date (month and year), Expiry date (month and year)
      and Status, as well as any secondary licences connected to that licence (e.g. trainer, owner)
      
   3. To see the status of each secondary licence, as well as what breed(s) they are for, click on the Licence Number
      
   4. Other ways to conduct a search:
      • By Name: In the Name (Individual/Entity) field enter the person’s name (TIP: You can enter the last name only, or the first name followed by the last name. Avoid using initials, commas or nicknames.)
      • Searching this way will likely result in a list of names. Be sure you are checking the status of the correct name. (TIP: You can sort the list by clicking on the column headings. To sort alphabetically by name, click “Name (Individual/Entity)”).
      • If your search has more than 200 results, you will get a “Too many results found. Please refine your criteria” message. You will need to add more search terms. (TIP: Click Search Again, then re-enter the name and add “Horseperson” in the Type field or type HP into the Number field.)

   Did you know?

   You can also conduct a search for horses on official AGCO lists (e.g. Commission Veterinarian’s List, EIPH Program (Lasix) List) by using the Search for Horses function on iAGCO.
   

To manage your licence(s) in the iAGCO online portal, you’ll first need a one-time access code to create an iAGCO account that links to your information already on file. After that, you can log in anytime to conduct your AGCO transactions.

To get your one-time access code:

• Call AGCO Customer Service Monday – Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at 416-326-8700 or toll free at 1-800-522-2876
• Ask an AGCO Licensing Agent at any open track office
• Email a Licensing Agent: racinglicensing@agco.ca

Once you have your access code, go to www.agco.ca/iagco to register your account and enter your one-time access code where indicated.

For support, please see an AGCO Licensing Agent.

NOTE: Select “Yes” if you currently participate or have previously participated in racing in Ontario. Selecting “No” in this case will cause unnecessary delays in processing your transaction.

Before you submit an application, you should:

1. Understand the processing time required
2. Prepare your application and gather supporting information

To apply for a horse racing licence:

1. Log in to iAGCO. Select Horse Racing under New Task. 

2. On the Horse Racing Dashboard, choose Apply for a Licence/Registration.

3. In iAGCO, the primary classification for individuals seeking to participate in racing in Ontario is called Horseperson.

Carefully read the important information on this page and have the required items ready to submit. Select Apply.

Note: the other classifications listed are generally business-related.

1. On the New Application page, ensure you carefully read the responsibilities and required documents. You will be prompted to select the licence term and at least one Secondary Licence.
   1. Licence Term: you can choose a term of one year or two years.
      NOTE: This term length applies to all secondary licences for a given Horseperson. For all horsepersons, the term expires on the individual’s birthday.
   2. Secondary Licence: To add a Secondary Licence, click Add under that section and follow the prompts in the pop-up windows.

Some secondary licences, like Driver, are breed specific. Many others, like Trainer, permit you to select one, two or three breeds if you are actively working in those sectors. The information you are asked to provide on subsequent screens will change according to the eligibility requirements for each licence type and selected breed.

Note:

• There is no additional cost for having multiple breeds attached to your licence.
• Some licence types cannot be held by the same person for the same breed, such as Apprentice Jockey and Jockey.
• To add a Secondary Licence to an existing licence, select the Licence Number of the applicable licence under the Licences/Registrations of the Horse Racing Dashboard. Select Add a Secondary.

For more information on licence types, eligibility and permitted activities, see the Horse Racing Licence Guide: Individuals and Administrative - Section 1: Application Types.

Renewing Your Licence(s)

All secondary horseperson licences under your primary Horseperson classification will expire on the same date. See more on how to renew in the Renewals section of this guide.

NOTE: At the time of renewal, you may choose to renew one, some or all of your secondary licences.

How to renew your current licence/registration

1. Log into your iAGCO account at www.agco.ca/iAGCO
2. Go to the Horse Racing Dashboard.
3. Your licences that are available to renew will appear under the Actions Required tab.
4. Click on the File Number of the licence you want to renew.
5. Select the Renew option (one or two year term) and select NEXT.
   The Renew option becomes available only 60 days before the expiry of your licence/registration.
6. Proceed through all of the screens and answer all of the questions, provide any required documentation and pay the applicable fee to submit your renewal application.

How to create your iAGCO account

1. If you don’t already have an iAGCO account, go to iAGCO online portal at www.agco.ca/iAGCO
2. Click on Create a New Account at the top of the page to create your account
   Note: You must have a valid email address to register your account
3. Input all of the information requested on the screen
4. To link your account to an existing AGCO licence, you will need to enter an Online Access Code 
   Note:
   1. If you have received your online access code, enter it under the Online access code section.
   2. If you currently have a Horse Racing licence/registration with the AGCO, you will receive your online access code in your renewal letter60 days before your licence/registration is set to expire.
   3. You can also call AGCO Customer Service during regular business hours at 416-326-8700 or toll free 1-800-522-2876 or ask a AGCO Licensing Agent at any open track office to request an online access code.
   4. The online access code is used to link your iAGCO account to your information already on file with the AGCO.
   5. New applicants do not require an online access code to apply.
5. After you click on Finish Registration, go to your email inbox and click on the verification link in the confirmation email sent by iAGCO to complete the account registration process

When completing an application or regulatory submission you will likely have to upload supporting documents.

Document Types

Depending on the type of submission, you may have to upload documents before you can complete your submission. Any mandatory documents are labelled as Required Document (see #1 below).

For some document types, you must use the sample form provided (see #2 below). To use the sample, click the download icon (see # 3 below). Open the file, sign and complete it electronically or print, then complete by hand and scan or take a photo of it.

TIP: You can prepare for your submission by downloading and completing the forms in advance. To find the form(s) you need, go to the Helpful Resources section of this guide.

You also have the option to upload any supplementary document(s) that would help the AGCO complete its review of your application (see #4 below).

How to Upload Documents

Once you have either (a) completed the form provided or (b) collected the document(s) you need on your device, you can proceed to upload them to iAGCO.

TIP: iAGCO permits most commonly used file types to be uploaded (bmp, csv, doc, docx, gif, jpeg, jpg, msg, pdf, png, xls, xlsx). Each document can be up to 20 MB in size. Note that documents should be complete and legible to minimize delays in the AGCO’s review of your submission.

On the Documents page, upload Required Documents as instructed. Drag and drop files to upload. Alternatively, click +Upload File to search your device for the file you wish to upload (i.e. your completed form or saved document). Click Open. After a moment, your document will appear in the Uploaded Documents section. Once all required documents are uploaded, click Next.

Next, you must identify the document’s type by choosing from the Document Type dropdown list. Repeat the uploading steps for all your documents. Then click Next.

TIP: If you need time to prepare the documents required, you can click Save to save the information without submitting it. You can then return to it by selecting it under Actions Required on the main Horse Racing Dashboard.

If Documents Need to Be Added or Changed After Submitting

Once your application is submitted, you can still add documents to your submission by going to the Horse Racing Dashboard and selecting the File Number under Applications In Progress.

If, during the AGCO’s review, it is determined that documents must be added or changed, you will receive an email detailing the request. You will then log into your iAGCO account, and under Actions Required on the Horse Racing Dashboard, you will see Additional Information Requested.

Click the File # then follow the prompts to submit the information or document requested.

To avoid unnecessary delays, please ensure that your documents are complete and legible.

For More Information, go to How to Get More Help in this guide.