This consolidation is unofficial and is for reference only.  For the official version of the regulations, consult the original documents on file with the Office of the Registrar of Regulations, or refer to the Royal Gazette Part II.
Regulations are amended frequently.  Please check the list of Regulations by Act to see if there are any recent amendments to these regulations filed with our office that are not yet included in this consolidation.
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this electronic version, the Office of the Registrar of Regulations assumes no responsibility for any discrepancies that may have resulted from reformatting.
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Non-Resident Registration Regulations

made under Section 25 of the

Motor Vehicle Act

R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 293

O.I.C. 74-868 (effective August 13, 1974), N.S. Reg. 72/74

as amended to O.I.C. 2015-96 (effective June 1, 2015), N.S. Reg. 129/2015

 

1     A passenger motor vehicle owned by a non-resident who does not carry on business in Nova Scotia shall be exempt from registration for a period of ninety days from the date on which such passenger motor vehicle was first operated in Nova Scotia in any registration year; provided, however, that there shall be only one such ninety day exemption between the date the vehicle was first operated in Nova Scotia in any registration year and twelve months thereafter.

 

2     A passenger motor vehicle owned by a non-resident and operated within Nova Scotia for the transportation of persons or goods for compensation shall be exempt from registration for a period of thirty days from the date on which such motor vehicle was first operated in Nova Scotia in any registration year; provided that no such persons or goods are taken on within the Province of Nova Scotia; provided further that there shall be only one such thirty-day exemption between the date the vehicle was first operated in Nova Scotia in any registration year and twelve months thereafter.

 

3     A passenger motor vehicle owned by a non-resident and registered in any province of Canada and operated within Nova Scotia for the purpose of providing transportation for commercial travellers or other persons temporarily engaged in business in Nova Scotia and having no fixed place of abode therein shall be exempt from registration for a period of thirty days.

 

4     A passenger motor vehicle registered in the Province of New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island shall be exempt from registration provided the registered owner does not reside in Nova Scotia.

 

5     A passenger motor vehicle registered in the Province of New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island carrying passengers for compensation shall be exempt from registration provided no passenger is taken on in Nova Scotia to be discharged in Nova Scotia.

 

6     (1)    A motor vehicle or trailer owned by a non-resident shall be exempt from registration in Nova Scotia to the same extent as a motor vehicle or trailer owned by a resident of Nova Scotia would be exempt from registration if it were operating in like circumstances in the province or state in which such non-resident is resident; provided that this exemption shall not apply to a commercial motor vehicle or trailer owned by a non-resident which takes on any goods within Nova Scotia to be discharged or unloaded within Nova Scotia.

 

       (2)    The Deputy Minister of Service Nova Scotia, or acting Deputy may, on behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia, enter into agreements with other provinces or states, where the purpose of the agreement is to specify the mutual exemptions as referred to in subsection (1) as between the parties.

 

7     (1)    A commercial motor vehicle or trailer owned by a non-resident to whom Regulation [Section] 6 does not apply shall be exempt from registration provided that a single trip permit, which is in force and effect, has been issued in respect to that vehicle and further provided that it does not take on any goods within Nova Scotia to be discharged within Nova Scotia.

 

       (2)    A single trip permit shall be valid for one entrance into the Province and shall remain in force and effect until the expiry of thirty days from and including the date of issuance, whichever comes first.

 

       (3)    The Registrar of Motor Vehicles is authorized to issue a single trip permit on payment of one of the following fees:

 

                (a)    for a single vehicle..................................................................................$66.40

 

                (b)    for a combination of vehicles................................................................$133.35

 

                (c)    for a truck or truck-tractor with a trailer or semi-trailer

attached, that is operated without a load..................................................$13.20

 

8     A bus owned by a non-resident shall be exempt from registration provided that all passengers brought into Nova Scotia in such bus are taken out of Nova Scotia in the bus and no passengers are taken on in Nova Scotia.

 

9     The exemptions contained in these regulations shall apply only to vehicles duly registered in the province or state in which the owner resides and upon condition that all requirements of that province or state in regard to the display of number plates and the carrying of permit, registration certificate or registration card are complied with while the vehicle is being operated in Nova Scotia.

 

10   The exemptions set forth in these regulations shall not apply to any vehicle owned by a person residing or carrying on business in any province or state which does not grant substantially similar privileges to vehicles registered in the Province of Nova Scotia and, where such province or state grants a lesser privilege in respect to the operating period or to the style of vehicle affected, the exemptions authorized by these regulations shall be diminished accordingly.

 

11   All regulations heretofore made by the Minister of Highways respecting exemption from registration of vehicles owned by non-residents are repealed.

 

 


Legislative History
Reference Tables

Non-Resident Registration Regulations

N.S. Reg. 72/1974

Motor Vehicle Act

Note:  The information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the Non-Resident Registration Regulations made under the Motor Vehicle Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

72/1974

Aug 13, 1974

date made

unpublished1

124/1984

Jun 19, 1984

date made

Jul 12, 1984

59/1992

Apr 1, 1992

date specified

Mar 20, 1992

105/2011

Jul 1, 2011

date specified

Apr 15, 2011

131/2013

Jun 1, 2013

date specified

Apr 12, 2013

129/2015

Jun 1, 2015

date specified

Apr 8, 2015

The following regulations are not yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added
am. = amended

fc. = fee change
ra. = reassigned

rep. = repealed
rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

6(1)...................................................

am. 59/1992

6(2)...................................................

ad. 124/1984

7(3)...................................................

rs. 105/2011, 131/2013, 129/2015

 

 

Note that changes to headings are not included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections

 

Note

Effective
date

1

Regulations in effect on April 1, 1977, and filed with the Registrar before March 31, 1978, are exempt from publication under subsection 24(2) of the Regulations Act.

 

2

The reference to Deputy Minister of Service Nova Scotia in s. 6(2) should be read as a reference to the Deputy Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal in accordance with O.I.C. 2014-432 under the Public Service Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 376.

Oct 20, 2014

3

The reference to Deputy Minister of Service Nova Scotia in s. 6(2) should be read as a reference to the Deputy Minister of Transportation and Active Transit in accordance with O.I.C. 2021-56 under the Public Service Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 376.

Feb 23, 2021

4

The reference to Deputy Minister of Service Nova Scotia in s. 6(2) should be read as a reference to the Deputy Minister of Public Works in accordance with O.I.C. 2021-209 under the Public Service Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 376.

Aug 31, 2021

Repealed and Superseded

N.S.
Regulation

Title

In force
date

Repealed
date

 

 

 

 

Note:  Only regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this table.  It may not reflect the entire history of regulations on this subject matter.

 

 

 


Webpage last updated: 06-10-2021