RIBO Equivalency Exam 2026: OTL, Other Provinces, Who Writes It

Which RIBO equivalency exam do you need?

Your background	Exams
Licensed in another province	RIB Act and Ontario auto
OTL licence from FSRA	RIB Act only
No licence, such as an underwriter	Ask RIBO to review you

You have to hold the licence and be employed, or have been employed within the last year. If you have no agent licence, send your resumé and any designations to equivalency@ribo.com.

RIBO: Equivalency ↗

How long each RIBO equivalency exam takes

Exam	Time
RIB Act, Regulations and By-Laws	45 min
Ontario Automobile	30 min
The two combined	75 min

From January 1, 2027, these exams are written in person at a test centre in Canada. Outside Ontario, RIBO’s notice points to the Insurance Institute of Canada, starting with one scheduled session a month.

The combined sitting’s time is from the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO), and the Institute lists one too. Ontario’s 2026 accident benefit changes count here as well, so if your auto knowledge comes from another province, read those. The fee and rewrite rules match the Level 1 exam’s.

RIBO says its Level 1 sample questions may also help with both equivalency exams, because each one tests a domain that’s also in Level 1.

RIBO: RIB Act, Regulations and By-Laws exam ↗RIBO: Ontario Automobile exam ↗RIBO: Discontinuation of RIBO’s Online Exams ↗RIBO: Statutory Accident Benefits changes ↗Cost →Rewrite rules →Booking →Sample questions and prep courses →

Check you’re eligible before you pay

RIBO says exam fees are non-refundable, and if you write an equivalency exam without qualifying, you won’t qualify for registration either. Asking first isn’t mandatory, but RIBO strongly encourages it. Email exam@ribo.com these as PDFs:

Your resumé
Your OTL or out-of-province licence
Any insurance designations, with transcript and certificate
Which RIBO level you’re seeking, and whether you plan to run a managing general agency

If you need both exams, pass both within 12 months. Your window to apply runs from the earlier pass, so it can be shorter than you’d think.

Licences from other provinces that can qualify

RIBO’s guide lists these for a Level 1 licence, if you hold them in your home jurisdiction and pass the exams:

Jurisdiction	Licence
Alberta	General Level 1 or Level 2 Agent
British Columbia	Level 1 General Insurance Salesperson
Manitoba	Level 1 General Insurance Salesperson
New Brunswick	Level 1 General Insurance Agent
Newfoundland and Labrador	Level 1 or Level 2 Broker
Northwest Territories	General Insurance Agent
Nova Scotia	Level 1 General Insurance Agent
Prince Edward Island	General
Quebec	Personal Lines Damage Insurance
Saskatchewan	Level 1 Agent
Yukon	Salesperson or Broker

For Level 2, RIBO has two pathways. If you hold the equivalent Level 2 elsewhere, no extra education is needed. If you hold Level 1 elsewhere, you’d add CAIB courses 1, 2 and 3 (Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker), CIP courses C130 and C131 (Chartered Insurance Professional), or the Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation. Both pathways write the same two exams. These are Ontario’s exams. For another province’s own broker exam, ask that province’s regulator.

RIBO licence levels →

OTL or RIBO: what’s the difference?

Who you can place business with. RIBO says FSRA-licensed agents typically arrange coverage with a single insurance company, while brokers work between customers and insurers. Holding both isn’t allowed: an OTL licence is a conflict with a RIBO one, so you’d surrender it before applying.

The six-month temporary licence

If you live outside Ontario in Canada and hold a valid general insurance licence there, you can apply for a Temporary Labour Mobility Licence while you finish the full process, including these exams. It lasts six months, only once in your lifetime, and can’t be renewed. RIBO says it reviews applications within 10 business days.

You’ll need a sponsoring RIBO brokerage, proof of employment dated within 10 days, a Certificate of Authority for each jurisdiction and a criminal record check dated within 60 days. OTL holders can’t use it, and it isn’t a Level 3 licence, so you can’t act as a Principal Broker on it.

RIBO: Temporary Labour Mobility Licence ↗

Sources: RIBO · IBAO · Insurance Institute of Canada and 9 more. Checked November 2026.