Registrant Services

Accessing the NEW Online Portal

The College has recently upgraded its registrant and applicant database. If you have not logged in since October 30, 2023, you will need to follow the steps below. If you already created your login profile in the new portal, please login as usual.

  1. Access the ONLINE PORTAL
  2. Click on the “Sign in” tab at the top of the Online Portal page.
  3. Please choose the “Reset Password” option and follow the related steps.  For detailed instructions, please click here. 
  4. Once logged in, click on the “Renewals” link at the top of the screen to complete your annual renewal.

If you have any questions about the Online Portal, contact the College at 416-972-9882, toll free at 1-877-828-9380 or email info@ocswssw.org.

Sign into the Online Portal to access your profile.

Online Portal

Registration Renewals

Registrants can renew their registration and pay their annual fee through the College’s Online Portal. The registration year for the College is January 1st to December 31st.

The annual renewal fee for a year must be paid on or before December 31st of the previous year. Currently, the College accepts the following payment methods:

  • Mastercard
  • Visa
  • Visa Debit
  • Mastercard Debit
  • Cheque
  • Money order

A $50 late fee penalty will be charged if the annual fee is received after January 31st of the registration year.

Once your annual fee is processed, you can save your invoice which can be used as a tax receipt. Please note that the College no longer offers separate tax receipts or annual registrant cards.

Resignation/Cancellation

If you no longer use the protected titles “social worker” or “social service worker”, and do not hold yourself out to be a social worker or social service worker, you can submit a notice of resignation through your profile on the Online Portal. By letting the College know of your resignation, you will avoid your certificate of registration being suspended.

Update Your Information

If you change employers or move, you must tell the College within 30 days. The College is required to make the current business name and business address of registrants available to the public on the Online Register.

You can use the Online Portal to update the following information easily:

  • Personal information – Home address, telephone number or email
  • Business information – Business name, telephone number or email
  • Practice information – your function, setting and practice field

If disclosure of your business address or business telephone number may jeopardize your safety, email info@ocswssw.org and the College will consider your request.

Name Change

If you change your name legally, you must advise the College. To do so, please send a request by email to info@ocswssw.org and include the following information:

  • your former name(s)
  • your new name(s)
  • a copy of an official government document that shows your new name(s) (e.g., a change of name certificate or marriage certificate)

You can also send name change requests and supporting documents to the College by fax or regular mail.

Both your former name(s) and new name(s) will be posted on the Online Register. If publication of your previous name(s) may jeopardize your safety, please include this information in your request.

If you use a nickname or shortform first name when practising, you must advise the College. Send a request by email to info@ocswssw.org and include the nickname or shortform first name you wish to add.

Your legal first name will not be replaced, but your nickname or shortform first name will be added in parentheses to ensure that service users can find you on the Online Register. For example: Margaret (Maggie) Jones.

Please remember to include your registration number on all correspondence with the College.

Related FAQs
    • Payment must be received in full on or before December 31st.
    • The College is not able to offer an instalment plan for payment of the annual or renewal fees at this time.
    • The College will accept a post-dated cheque for payment before December 31st.
    • As per bylaws of the College, the annual fee (also referred to as a renewal fee) for a year must be paid on or before December 31st of the previous year.
    • A registrant who fails to pay the annual fee on or before January 31st shall pay a penalty of $50.
    • The Registrar may suspend the certificate of registration of a registrant of the College for failure to pay the annual fee or penalty prescribed by the bylaws.
    • The Registrar shall not suspend a registrant’s certificate of registration without first giving the registrant two months notice of the default and intention to suspend.

  • No. The cost of regulating a registrant of the College does not change as a result of hours worked or income.

  • If your certificate of registration is suspended, you will no longer be able to:

    • Use the title of social service worker/registered social service worker or social worker/registered social worker or their French equivalents.
    • Represent or hold out, expressly or by implication, that you are a social service worker/registered social service worker or social worker/registered social worker.
    • In addition, it is an act of professional misconduct to engage in the practice of social work or social service work while your certificate is suspended.
    • You will not be able to stand for election to Council, nor vote in the election of members to Council.
    • A permanent suspension annotation will be placed on the Register of the College which is information that is available to the public.

  • For the removal of the suspension, you must pay a reinstatement fee of $150 plus applicable taxes, the penalty for failure to pay the annual fee of $50 and the annual fee of $400. The total cost for the suspension to be removed is $600.

  • Under the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998, the College has a broad range of responsibilities on behalf of the public and registrants, including:

    • Registering members of the professions.
    • Setting entry-to-practice requirements and standards of practice.
    • Promoting quality assurance so that registrants maintain competence.
    • Managing a thorough complaints and discipline process.

    These fees are in line with the fees of similarly sized colleges in Ontario.

    • The mandate of the College is to protect the public interest. The College is unlike a professional association whose mandate is to advocate and provide services for its members.
    • However, benefits of registration in the College include: the ability to use the title “social worker”/”social service worker” or “registered social worker”/”registered social service worker”; eligibility to stand for election to Council, the opportunity to vote in the election of Councillors to Council; receipt of all College publications, for example, Practice Guidelines, Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice and Perspective Newsletters; practice consultations; online registrant services; and attendance at the Annual Meeting and Education Day.

  • Resignation/Cancellation
    If you do not need to renew your registration (i.e. you no longer use the title “social worker” or “social service worker”, nor hold yourself out to be a social worker or social service worker) and you wish to avoid your certificate of registration being suspended, you can submit a notice of resignation through your profile on the Online Portal. 

    Retirement
    If you are no longer practising social work or social service work and do not intend to return to practice in Ontario or any other jurisdiction, you will have the option to apply for a retired class of certificate of registration. Registrants in the retired class will pay a $50 annual fee and will not be required to participate in the Continuing Competence Program (CCP).  Registrants in the retired class will not be able to move back into the general class unless they re-apply to the College and meet all of the registration requirements. Prior to moving into the retired class, registrants will be required to complete an application form, and indicate that they will comply with the requirements set out in the regulation and do not intend to return to practice in Ontario or any other jurisdiction.

  • Should you wish to re-apply for registration as a registrant of the College, you will be required to complete another application form, submit all of the required documentation, pay the prescribed fees and meet the requirements for registration as a registrant of the College prescribed by the bylaws, processes and regulations in existence at the time you re-apply.

    NOTE: If you intend to return to practice in the future, you may wish to apply for a certificate of registration in the inactive class instead.

  • The College does not offer such discounts.

  • Only registrants of the OCSWSSW who have an email address on file with the College have access to the online registrant services.

  • Yes. The College encrypted the online section of the site, which prevents any unauthorized individuals from viewing or obtaining any information you provide. Registrants should also take steps to prevent others from seeing their information, particularly if you access the site on a public computer. Do not share your password with anyone. It is advised that you occasionally change your password.

  • If you wish to update this section, you must ask your academic institution to mail an official transcript with the institution seal and/or stamp directly to the OCSWSSW.

  • The CCP documents are available on the College website at http://www.ocswssw.org/registrants/continuing-competence-program/.

  • The online renewal system typically takes about 15 minutes to review your personal information and complete the online renewal.

  • In order to complete your annual renewal online, you will be required to answer several questions and make declarations regarding your practice question, participation in the Continuing Competence Program and your professional conduct. Once you have answered these questions and agreed to the Declaration of Compliance, you will be directed to the payment section to complete the renewal.

  • Currently, the College accepts the following  payment methods:

    • Mastercard
    • Visa
    • Visa Debit
    • Mastercard Debit
    • Cheque
    • Money order

    The online payments are made through a secured server. If you choose to mail a cheque or money order, be sure to write your registration number and attach a print confirmation from the payment page once you’ve completed the online renewal form.

  • Registrants are responsible for ensuring they renew on time to avoid incurring late charges. If the College does not receive your payment by January 31, a $50 late fee will automatically be added onto your renewal fee. Failure to pay the annual fees can result in suspension of a registrant’s certificate of registration.

  • Please contact the College by phone (416-972-9882 or 1-877-828-9380) or email info@ocswssw.org to inform us that you renewed online and also mailed the paper renewal form.