Third Party Advertising

Register as a Third Party Advertiser

A third party advertiser is an individual, corporation or trade union that pays for advertisements or other materials that support, promote or oppose a candidate or issue.

Any eligible individual, corporation or trade union that intends to spend money on advertising must register as a third party advertiser.

You can register as a third party advertiser as of May 1, 2026.

Notice of Registration – Third Party – Ontario Form 7 (Declaration of Qualification)

If you’re registering as an individual, you must provide a piece of identification that proves your identity and that you live in Ontario.

There is no restriction against family members or campaign staff of candidates registering to be third party advertisers. However, third party advertising must be done independently of the candidate.

If you are a person with close ties to a candidate, you should consider the following:

How would these activities appear to the public?
How would you demonstrate that you are not working in co-ordination with the candidate?

If you’re registering on behalf of a corporation, you must provide:

Proof that the corporation operates in Ontario and that you are the director. This could include a corporate search or incorporating documents.
A piece of government-issued identification

If the corporation has more than one director, provide a resolution from the board authorizing you to act as the corporation’s representative.

Between multiple corporations owned by the same people or person or controlled by a single corporation, only one can register as a third party advertiser.

If you are registering on behalf of a trade union, you must provide:

Proof the union exists
Proof you have been appointed to act on the trade union’s behalf

Frequently Asked Questions for Third Party Advertising

What are the requirements for Third Party Advertising?

It is very important that the following mandatory rules are followed:

By Section 88.4 of the Act states that broadcasters and publishers may only permit third party advertisements to appear between May 1, 2026 and Election Day (October 26,2026);
A registered third party must provide the following information to the broadcasters or publisher in writing before the third party advertisements appears:
- The name of the registered third party;
- The name of the business address and telephone number of the individual who deals with the broadcaster or publisher under the direction of the registered third party;
- The municipality where the registered third party is registered

How do campaign finance rules apply to Third Party Advertisers?

Most campaign finance rules that apply to candidates will also apply to third party advertisers. Third party advertisers will have spending limits and there will be contribution limits for those wishing to contribute to a third party advertiser. Corporations and unions will be permitted to contribute to third party advertisers, but will not be permitted to contribute to candidates.

Rules for determining whether two corporations should be considered as a single corporation are simplified, so that it should be easier for corporations and candidates to determine whether the contributions from two corporations should count towards the same contribution limit to third party advertisers.

When Can a Third Party Ad be run?

Broadcasters and publishers may only permit third party advertisements to appear between May 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 (Election Day).

What are the legal obligations for broadcasters and publishers?

The following is a summary for broadcasters and publishers of their obligations under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (the Act) if they broadcast or publish a third party advertisement during the upcoming municipal election. For further information, visit the Government of Ontario’s website or contact the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

The requirements for broadcasters and publishers include:

Mandatory Information

A registered third party advertiser must provide the following information to the broadcaster or publisher in writing before the third party advertisement appears:

Name of the registered third party
Municipality where the registered third party is registered
A telephone number, mailing address or email address at which the registered third party may be contacted regarding the advertisement. 2016, c. 15, s. 48.

Maintaining records

The broadcaster or publisher of a third party advertisement must maintain records for 4 years after the date the advertisement appears. These records must contain:

Mandatory information described in section 1 (above), as outlined under section 88.5 (2) of the Act;
A copy of the advertisement, or the means of reproducing it for inspection;
A statement of charge made for its appearance.

The public must be permitted to inspect the records during normal business hours.

Charges and Contributions

The broadcaster or publisher may not charge a third party advertiser more or less than their normal advertising rate. If less is charged, the difference is deemed to be a contribution to the third party advertiser. Providing free advertising is considered a contribution towards the third party advertiser, unless all third party advertisers are offered the same service.

Broadcasters or Publishers as Registered Third Party Advertisers

Broadcasters or publishers, who wish to conduct third party advertising, must register as a third party advertiser and follow the Act's requirements. A Third Party Advertisers' guide, published by the Government of Ontario, will be provided upon registration.

You're eligible to register as a third party advertiser if you are:

An individual resident of Ontario
A corporation carrying on business in Ontario
A trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario

You are not eligible to register as a third party advertiser if you are:

A candidate in the municipal or provincial election
A group, association or business that is not a corporation
A federal or provincial political party
The Crown in right of Canada or Ontario, a municipality or local board