Understanding taking a leave or resigning

Retirement, parental leave, or moving to another province

If you will not be working or using the title "occupational therapist" in Ontario you may choose to resign your registration. Please note, there are multiple steps involved in re-registering with the College. Carefully review the information below before resigning.

Resigning means you:

• cannot work as an occupational therapist,
• cannot use the occupational therapist title, abbreviation, or designation OT Reg. (Ont.), in Ontario,

until you re-register with the College and receive a new certificate of registration.

Please review the options below before resigning from the College.

Occupational therapists may access their profiles through the registrant login.

If you are not working or using the title occupational therapist in Ontario, you have two options:

Option 1: Maintain your registration and return to practice at any time during the year.

If you choose to maintain your registration, you must continue to meet all College requirements.

This includes:

• carrying professional liability insurance,
• meeting the practice hours requirement, and
• completing your annual quality assurance requirements.
  
  

You also need to renew your registration annually by the May 31 deadline.

Option 2: Resign your registration

If you choose to resign, you will no longer be registered with the College.

This means you cannot work as an occupational therapist or use the titles: occupational therapist, OT, or OT Reg. (Ont.) in Ontario.

If you decide to resign, you will need to reapply and receive a new certificate of registration prior to returning to practice in Ontario. This generally involves submitting the following:

• online application
• results of a Vulnerable Sector Check
• completed Regulatory History Form (if you’ve been registered in another jurisdiction or profession)
• evidence of 600 hours of occupational therapy practice within the past three years
• evidence of professional liability insurance
• applicable fees.

You do not need to submit documentation the College already has on file such as, transcripts or exam results. For information on reapplying, visit the Reapply to the College page of the website.

To resign your registration, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the COTO Portal
2. Select “Resign Certificate”
3. Follow the instructions 

Refunds

If you resign your registration between June 1 and the last day of February, a refund will be issued if you meet the following conditions:

• You do not owe money to the College
• You stop practising occupational therapy and resign on or before the following dates:

If you meet the conditions, no action is required to obtain a refund. The refund will be processed at the end of the refund period to the original method of payment. If you paid by online banking, you will be mailed a cheque.

Contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.