How to get TDG certification
How TDG certification works in Canada: who needs it, what training counts, who issues the certificate, what it must show and when it expires. Every fact links to the TDG Regulations or Transport Canada.
By the Canada Exam Prep Editorial Team ·
- No sign-up
- Every answer explained
- Independent · not a government site
- 6 steps
- Official sources only
- Checked October 18, 2026
"TDG certification" is the training certificate that the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations require for anyone who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods. It is not a government licence and there is no government exam: your employer issues it once it is satisfied you are adequately trained for your duties.
This guide walks through who needs the certificate, how to get trained, what the certificate must show, how long it lasts and the mistakes people make. Each step links to the section of the TDG Regulations or the Transport Canada page it comes from.
Step by step
Check whether your job needs it
You need TDG training and a certificate if you handle, offer for transport or transport dangerous goods, unless you work under the direct supervision of a trained, certified person or an exemption applies. Most exemptions are in sections 1.15 to 1.50 of the Regulations.
Source: Transport Canada — TDG Bulletin: TDG TrainingAsk your employer what training your duties require
Adequate training means sound knowledge of the TDG topics that relate directly to your duties and the goods you work with, such as classification, documents, marks, containers, ERAPs, reporting and emergency measures. Your employer decides what is adequate for your job.
Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.2Complete the training
The Regulations do not prescribe the type of training. It can combine classroom instruction, on-the-job training and work experience, so an online course is one option among several. Training for air or marine transport must also cover the international rules for those modes.
Source: Transport Canada — TDG Bulletin: TDG TrainingReceive your training certificate from your employer
When your employer has reasonable grounds to believe you are adequately trained, it issues the certificate. It must show the employer's name and business address, your name, the expiry date after the words "Expires on", and the aspects of handling, offering or transporting you are trained for, and it is signed by you and your employer.
Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.3Carry it and show it when asked
If a TDG inspector asks for your training certificate while you handle, offer or transport dangerous goods, you must show it immediately. Paper and electronic certificates are both accepted.
Source: Transport Canada — TDG Bulletin: TDG TrainingRenew it before it expires
A certificate for road, rail or vessel transport expires 36 months after it is issued; a certificate for air transport expires after 24 months. Plan refresher training before the expiry date so your employer can issue a new certificate.
Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.5
Who can get it
- Anyone who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods must be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, or work in the presence and under the direct supervision of someone who is. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.1
- A self-employed person who is adequately trained issues a training certificate to themself, with the same information an employer's certificate must show. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.3
- A US-licensed truck driver or train crew member trained under 49 CFR may use that US training record as a valid certificate in Canada while it is valid in the United States. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.4
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee for the training certificate | None: the certificate is issued by your employer, or by you if you are self-employed, not by Transport Canada | Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.3 |
| Training course from a private provider | Not confirmed by an official source; check with the provider | Source: Transport Canada — TDG Bulletin: TDG Training |
Fees change. Check the amount on the official page or with the provider before you pay.
Where to take the test
Through your employer, who chooses how you are trained: a classroom or online course, on-the-job training, experience or a mix. Transport Canada does not run TDG courses for workers; it publishes Guidelines for Training Criteria to help employers decide who needs training and what it should cover. Source: Transport Canada — TDG Training
What to bring or have ready
- A clear list of your duties and the dangerous goods you work with, so the training and the certificate cover what you actually do. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.2
- For a renewal, any record of your previous training or experience: an employer may use a statement of experience explaining why it believes you are adequately trained. Source: Transport Canada — TDG Bulletin: TDG Training
After you pass
Your employer issues and signs the certificate with you and keeps a copy, together with a record of your training or a statement of experience, until two years after the certificate expires. Keep your own copy with you at work. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.6
Validity and renewal
The certificate expires 36 months after it is issued for road, rail or vessel transport and 24 months after it is issued for air transport. A new certificate needs your employer to be satisfied again that you are adequately trained, through refresher training or a statement of experience. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.5
Common mistakes
- Treating a course completion record as the TDG certificate. The certificate must be issued and signed by your employer (or by you, if self-employed) with the details the Regulations list. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.3
- Assuming a supervisor watching on camera counts as direct supervision. Transport Canada says an untrained worker must be physically accompanied by a trained, certified person. Source: Transport Canada — TDG Bulletin: TDG Training
- Expecting the certificate to follow you to a new job. Certificates are not transferable; each employer issues its own. Source: Transport Canada — TDG Bulletin: TDG Training
- Forgetting that air transport certificates expire sooner than road ones: 24 months instead of 36. Source: TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-09-30, s. 6.5
Prepare for the test
Free practice written from the official material: full practice tests, a study guide, a printable sheet and a timed mock exam.
- TDG practice tests138 original practice questions with explanations
- TDG practice test (printable PDF)50 TDG questions on classes, shipping documents, placards, training and reporting, with a separate answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF. Free, no sign-up.
- TDG study guideFree TDG study guide: 196 key points from the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (SOR/2001-286) in plain words, organised by topic, each topic linked to its practice questions.
- TDG Mock Exam 1 – 30 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- TDG exam simulator30 new random questions every time, full screen, no hints
We last checked the official pages on October 18, 2026. Rules and fees can change; the official source always wins.
FAQ
How to get TDG certification: common questions
Can I get TDG certification online?
You can take TDG training online, because the Regulations do not prescribe the type of training. The certificate itself still comes from your employer, who must be satisfied that you are adequately trained for your duties.
How long does TDG certification last?
36 months for road, rail or vessel transport and 24 months for air transport, counted from the date the certificate is issued.
Is there a standard TDG certificate form?
No. The certificate has no standard format; employers may use their own template as long as it contains the required information. Transport Canada publishes a sample.
What happens if I work without a valid certificate?
Unless an exemption applies, you may only do the work in the presence and under the direct supervision of a trained, certified person. Breaking the Regulations is an offence under the TDG Act, with fines of up to $50,000 for a first offence on summary conviction.
Keep practising
- TDG practice test (printable PDF)50 TDG questions on classes, shipping documents, placards, training and reporting, with a separate answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF. Free, no sign-up.
- TDG study guide
- TDG Mock Exam 1 – 30 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- TDG Mock Exam 2 – 30 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- TDG Practice Test 125 questions with explanations
- TDG Practice Test 225 questions with explanations
- TDG Practice Test 325 questions with explanations
Practice by topic
- TDG law, key terms and penaltiesWhat the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations cover, who counts as a consignor, carrier or employer, what handling and offering for transport mean, small versus large means of containment, offences and penalties, and how to reach CANUTEC.
- The nine classes and their divisionsAll nine classes of dangerous goods and their divisions, from Class 1.1 explosives to Class 9 miscellaneous goods, the criteria that place a substance in each class, and what Packing Groups I, II and III mean.
- Classification, UN numbers and Schedule 1Who must classify dangerous goods, when a substance counts as dangerous goods, how UN numbers and shipping names work, and how to read the columns of Schedule 1, including the limited quantity and ERAP indexes.
- Shipping documentsWhat a TDG shipping document must contain and in what order, the 24-hour number, the consignor's certification, where the driver or crew keeps it, and how long consignors and carriers keep copies.
- Labels, placards and UN numbersDangerous goods marks: labels on small containers, placards and UN numbers on large ones, sizes and orientation, the DANGER placard, the 500 kg placarding exemption and when marks must be removed.
- Means of containmentChoosing and using packaging and containers: required or permitted containers, being in standard, compliance marks, loading and securing, filling limits and the safety standards for each class.
- Training and the TDG certificateWho must be trained, what adequate training means, how the employer issues the training certificate, what it must show, when it expires and what records the employer keeps.
- Emergency response assistance plans (ERAP)When an approved ERAP is required, how the ERAP index works, what goes on the shipping document and the vehicle, and what tier 1 and tier 2 responses involve.
- Reporting releases, loss and theftThe duty to report a release or anticipated release, the emergency report to local authorities, the report to CANUTEC and the consignor, the 30-day follow-up report and loss or theft reports.
- Exemptions and special casesThe most used exemptions: the 150 kg and 500 kg gross mass special cases, limited and excepted quantities, transport within a facility, emergency response, vehicle fuel tanks, diesel and gasoline in small tanks, and others.