On January 1, 2025, changes to Ontario Regulation 468/18 under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 came into effect to allow the transfer of a Retail Store Authorization (RSA) from one holder of a Retail Operator Licence (ROL) to another.
This change makes it easier for retail operators to conduct business by reducing burden and streamlining the licensing process.
Two additional regulatory changes came into effect on January 1, 2025 for cannabis licence and authorization holders.
For information on the amendment allowing authorization holders who have requested a cancellation of their retail store authorization to sell cannabis to another authorization holder, see Information Bulletin: Sale of cannabis from one Retail Store Authorization Holder to another now permitted.
For information on the amendment requiring retail operators to attest to their tax compliance, see Information Bulletin: New tax compliance attestation requirements for cannabis retail operator licences now in effect.
How it works
An RSA may be applied to be transferred from one ROL holder to another.
To initiate the transfer, the person wishing to acquire the RSA must submit a cannabis RSA transfer application in the iAGCO online portal.
The application will be reviewed and approved by the Registrar if the eligibility requirements are met. These requirements include (but are not limited to):
- No monetary penalties can be outstanding against the current holder of the authorization.
- The person that is applying to acquire the RSA must not hold more than the maximum number of authorizations permitted by Ontario Regulation 468/18 after the transfer.
- An expired authorization cannot be transferred.
The expiry date and renewal period of the RSA remain the same once transferred.
Note: If you are the holder of a prescribed licence issued under the Cannabis Act (Canada) to produce cannabis for commercial purposes, there are additional eligibility requirements that apply to you. Please refer to paragraph 1.1 of subsection 16.1(2) of Ontario Regulation 468/18.
When the RSA transfers, any existing cannabis inventory transfers with the RSA.
Application Process
The person that is applying to acquire the RSA:
- must be an ROL holder:
- If you are not already an ROL holder, you must submit an application in the iAGCO online portal for a Cannabis Retail Operator Licence before you can start the transfer application and must be issued the ROL before the RSA can be transferred.
- must submit a Transfer - Cannabis Retail Store Authorization amendment in the iAGCO online portal.
- You must ask the current RSA holder to complete a Consent to Transfer form and upload this completed form as part of your application.
- A separate application and corresponding Consent to Transfer form is required for each authorization you are applying to acquire.
- must pay the RSA Transfer fee. For more information, see the AGCO website page Fees and Payments.
- may be required to undergo an AGCO inspection.
The retail operator wishing to transfer their RSA must:
- provide a completed and signed Consent to Transfer form to the person applying to acquire your RSA. A separate Consent to Transfer form is required for each RSA being transferred. If the current authorization holder is:
- a sole proprietor, the sole proprietor must sign and date the form.
- a corporation, a person with authority to bind the corporation must sign and date the form.
- a partnership, all partners must sign and date the form.
- submit a renewal application if the RSA will expire within 60 days or will expire before the transfer application can be finalized. An expired authorization cannot be transferred.
- ensure any outstanding monetary penalties are paid.
A new RSA number for the retail store will be issued if the transfer is to be approved.
Recordkeeping and Reporting
When the RSA transfers, any existing cannabis inventory transfers with the RSA.
Each ROL holder involved in the RSA transfer must accurately document the incoming and outgoing cannabis inventory in their respective point-of-sale systems.
For More Information
Please familiarize yourself with the changes to Ontario Regulation 468/18 made under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 that came into effect on January 1, 2025. The Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores have also been amended to reflect these new regulatory changes and are in effect as of January 1, 2025.
An updated version of the Cannabis Retail Regulation Guide (see new Request to Transfer a Retail Store Authorization section) is available to help you navigate these changes.
AGCO Customer Service is available to assist you. For inquiries, email customer.service@agco.ca or call 1-800-522-2876, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.