Archived Privacy Statement

This is an archived version of our Privacy Policy. View the current version.

This statement is effective as of November 6, 2014.

What is this Privacy Statement?
What is Considered Personal Information?
How to Access or Correct Personal Information?
How is Personal Information Handled?
Are Our Business Partners exempt from this Statement?
What are the Security Provisions for the Services?
Are cookies used by these Services?
What cookies are used by Service Nova Scotia?
Is JavaScript used by these Services?
Are E-mail Requests and Other Correspondence Secure?
What do we do with Survey Requests and Information?
Do we make changes to this Privacy Statement?
Which Provincial Acts, Policies and Disclosures help protect my Personal Information?
Who should you Contact for Further Information:

What is this Privacy Statement?

Service Nova Scotia has created this statement to inform you of the standards and provisions we have designed into our Online Services ("Services") to protect your personal information and ensure a safe Internet experience.

This statement is bound by the same principles and requirements that are contained in the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This statement supports and conforms to the Nova Scotia Government Website Privacy Policy. In addition, it outlines the guidelines we follow to collect personal information and how that information is used to transact the electronic business you do with us.

By accessing the Services offered through accessns.ca, you are indicating agreement with this Privacy Statement and the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not continue to access or transact business using these Services.

What is Considered Personal Information?

Nova Scotia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act defines the meaning of personal information. In addition to the information types defined by the Act, information relating to a specific individual such as date of birth, telephone numbers, vehicle information, Internet Protocol address, e-mail address, credit card data, or other information collected by these Online Services, are considered to be personal information.

For purposes of this statement, general information such as and domain name, web browser version, or statistical information regarding which areas of our site you visit, are not considered to be personal information.

How to Access or Correct Personal Information?

The privacy rights of online visitors to our Website are fully protected by Nova Scotia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Any personal information which collected from visitors relates directly to the operation of programs and will not be used for any other purpose. To obtain access to or correct personal information you have submitted via this form, please contact Service Nova Scotia at:

FOIPOP Administrator
P.O. Box 1003
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2X1

How is Personal Information Handled?

Service Nova Scotia follows these guidelines regarding the collection and use of personal information within these Services:

Any personal information collected during the course of accessing or using these Services is used only for the purposes of completing the intended transaction and in a manner consistent with this statement and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Personal Information International Disclosure Protection Act.
Information collected by these Services is not retained electronically for future use once the purpose(s) of the transaction has been completed and verified.
We do not disclose your personal information to other organizations or individuals, except as required to fulfill the purpose(s) of the transaction or only to the extent required or authorized by law.
Personal information collected during the course of an Interac Online transaction is collected by the Financial Institution either at the time of the transaction or at the time you registered with the Financial Institution. For information regarding how Financial Institutions protect your information, please refer to their respective privacy policies.
Personal information collected during the course of any credit card transaction (card number, cardholder name, expiry date, CVV) conducted through this service may be stored, accessed from or disclosed outside Canada for payment authorization and reconciliation. For information regarding how Credit Card Companies protect your information, please refer to their respective card holder policies and privacy policies.
Completing a transaction indicates your consent to the transfer of information as required for the completion of the payment authorization and reconciliation.
Pursuant to a longstanding arrangement, driver names and addresses are provided to The War Amps to enable its key tag program. Individual driver information is withheld from The War Amps upon request by a driver.

Should any situation arise which would cause the use of personal information which would be inconsistent with the above guidelines, your prior consent for such use will be required.

Are Our Business Partners exempt from this Statement?

No. Some functions within the Online Services are provided by service providers external to Service Nova Scotia. All external service providers must meet the applicable security, privacy and terms of use provisions as stated for Service Nova Scotia. Service Nova Scotia uses the services of Atlantic Canada Online (ACOL), a service created by the four Atlantic Canada provinces and Unisys Canada Inc. to provide electronic access to government information and services.

What are the Security Provisions for the Services?

Service Nova Scotia has taken several steps to safeguard your personal information, as well as the integrity of our computing infrastructure. These steps include various forms of authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. Specific security measures have been integrated into the design, implementation and operating practices of the entire electronic operating environment for these Services. For example, to ensure the security and integrity of information contained within electronic transactions accessed from these Services, we employ standard web-browser certificate and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology which permits the secure encryption of information sent on the Internet. In addition, in order to complete certain transactions within the Service you should have cookies and JavaScript enabled.

Are cookies used by these Services?

Yes. We use the "Cookies" feature to allow proper navigation of the various screens and functions throughout the Service. Although these Cookies are stored on the computer which you use to connect to the Internet, no personal information which would identify you is included in the information stored as part of the Cookie. If you choose not to enable (or to disable) the Cookies function within your browser, you will not be able to complete transactions.

What cookies are used by Service Nova Scotia?

A list of the Cookies we use can be found at: https://novascotia.ca/sns/cookies.asp

Is JavaScript used by these Services?

JavaScript is utilized to provide enhanced functionality and improve the usability of these transaction Services. For optimal operation of these Services, you should have JavaScript enable in your browser. Otherwise, some features, such as error checking of your information, may not work exactly as described.

Are E-mail Requests and Other Correspondence Secure?

In addition to the use of our secure Services, you may choose to communicate with Service Nova Scotia through regular e-mail. In the course of initiating this electronic correspondence, you may provide, or be asked to provide, personal information to enable us to respond to your request effectively.
We may also forward the contents of e-mail correspondence to other departments or agencies who may be better able to help you or respond fully to your request. Except for the sole purpose of responding to your request, the contents of your e-mail correspondence, including any personal information, will not be shared with other parties.

Important Note: Regular e-mail correspondence does not offer the same encryption and security measures as provided within our transaction Services. Therefore, it is the policy of Service Nova Scotia that correspondence containing personal information is not sent using regular e-mail methods.

What do we do with Survey Requests and Information?

During the process of conducting business using these Services, you may be offered the opportunity to provide feedback to us regarding the quality and features of our service offerings. Any information you may provide during survey activities is maintained for the sole purpose of improving service quality and offerings. Survey information is collected and analysed in aggregate form only. At no time will personal information provided during the course of an electronic survey be used by Service Nova Scotia for any other purpose, unless your prior consent for such use is received.

Do we make changes to this Privacy Statement?

Changes to this Privacy Statement may occur from time to time to ensure the consistent, ongoing operation of the Services. When using these Services, the privacy and security of your personal information will be bound by the statement and applicable legislation in effect at the time of your transaction.

Which Provincial Acts, Policies and Disclosures help protect my Personal Information?

Who should you Contact for Further Information:

For more information regarding this Privacy Statement or to comment on its content, please contact:

Web Administrator
Service Nova Scotia
PO Box 2734
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3P7
e-mail: askus@gov.ns.ca