Changelog
Follow up on the latest improvements and updates.
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New versions of Ontario Building Code 2024 (O. Reg. 163/24), Development Charges Act. and City of Toronto Act have been published.
The changes has been announced in CodeNews Issue 373:
New Occupancy Permit Requirements in the Building Code for Deferred Development Charges
The Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 (Bill 17) amended the Development Charges Act, 1997 to allow payment of the local/lower tier and regional/upper tier portion of development charges for non rental residential developments to be deferred from building permit issuance to either (a) issuance of an occupancy permit or (b) first occupancy of the building.
To operationalize this policy and improve collection certainty, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing amended Ontario's 2024 Building Code (Ontario Regulation 163/24).
Effective November 3, 2025, occupancy permits are now required for all non-rental residential projects with deferred development charges. A municipality cannot issue the occupancy permit until the municipality confirms the deferred development charges are paid in full. Municipalities will be allowed up to 10 business days to complete the occupancy inspection for these developments in order to allow time for processing of the payment of deferred development charges, if necessary.
Municipalities may continue to issue building permits as they do today. This is a timing change only for collection of municipal development charges where the applicant elects for deferral. Construction requirements determining when a building is safe for occupancy are also unchanged.
We’ve embedded our AI Training, Understanding AI-Assisted Regulatory Workflows, into Trax Codes, so that your progress will be saved where you left off.
To access the training on Trax Codes:
- Click on your profile icon on the top right corner
- Click on ‘Training’ → ‘Understanding AI-Assisted Regulatory Workflows'
For
OBOA, BOABC and FNNBOA members
, please take the training through your association’s learning portal
instead of on Trax Codes to claim CEC credits. To learn more about the AI Training, please visit https://www.trax.co/ai-training.
We’ve embedded direct links to NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards within the Ontario Building Code. Now, when you view fire protection or life safety clauses, you can jump to relevant NFPA standards in one click.
To use this feature, you’ll need to log in to NFPA Link the first time you click one of the links. A paid account isn’t required; a free NFPA account will give you full access to view the referenced standards.
We’ve expanded our National section with the latest versions of key user guides:
- Illustrated User’s Guide: NBC Part 9 – Housing and Small Buildings → Now includes both NBC 2020 and NBC 2015 editions.
- Structural Commentaries (User’s Guide – NBC: Part 4) → Now includes NBC 2020 and NBC 2015 editions.
- User’s Guide – National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) → Now includes the 2020 and 2017 editions.
Explore the updates to stay aligned with the latest national code guidance.
We’ve integrated the latest amendments for the Building Code Act and other Acts that resulted from the introduction Ontario’s Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act (S.O. 2025, c. 09, Sch. 1, s. 1).
Acts changed include:
- Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23
- Development Charges Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 27
- City of Toronto Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 11, Sched. A
- Environmental Assessment Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.18
- Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.19
- Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13
- Building Transit Faster Act, 2020, S.O. 2020, c. 12
- Development Charges Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 27
We've added a new revision of the British Columbia Building Codes, Revision 6, that is effective . Revision 6 changes include updates to make adaptable dwelling units easier to design and construct, offering greater flexibility that can reduce space requirements and costs beneficial to the project. The changes also clarify seismic requirements for houses and small buildings (Part 9) to support builder understanding and compliance. Additional general updates are also included.
We’re excited to announce that BCBC 2024 and associated acts are now available in Trax Codes.
Trax subscribers can now explore, search, and validate code compliance using the latest 2024 edition of the British Columbia Building Code — right inside the Trax Codes platform.
How to Access BCBC 2024 in Trax Codes:
- Log into Trax Codes with your credentials.
- Selectlibraryin the upper task bar.
- Select British Columbiaas your jurisdiction in theleft side bar.
- Start exploring using AI-powered Q&A, orkeyword search.
Start your 30 day free trial of Trax Codes today if you aren't already a customer!
We're pleased to announce the release of the
Trax Codes Chatbot
on Microsoft Teams
. Now, Professional Trax
license holders can access our AI-driven assistant directly within Teams for fast, accurate answers to your Canadian building codes queries.Key Features:
- Direct Chat: Ask questions like, “What is the maximum egress distance for a 2-storey MURB?” and follow up with clarifications such as, “Can you explain it in plain language” The chatbot understands context and refines responses accordingly.
- Seamless Teams Integration: Install the Trax Codes app in Teams by simply searching “Trax” and logging in with your Professional credentials.
- Streamlined Workflow: Get the detailed code information you need without interrupting your workflow.
- Embedded Trax Codes: Alongside the chatbot, there’s an embedded version of the full Trax Codes app. This allows you to access all the information you need without leaving Teams—simply switch between the "Chat" and "Trax" tabs at the top of the page.
How to Install the Trax Codes Chatbot in Teams
Getting started with the Trax Codes Chatbot is simple. Here’s how to install it in Microsoft Teams:
- Open Microsoft Teamsand click on theAppsicon (in the lower left sidebar).
- Search for "Trax"in the app search bar. You should see theTrax Codesapp in the results.
- Select the Trax Codes appand clickAdd. This will add the Trax Codes Chatbot to your Teams.
- And you should be all set to start asking questions!
Note
: The Trax Codes Chatbot is a premium feature available to Professional Trax license holders
. Make sure your Trax account has a Professional subscription associated with it; otherwise, you won’t be able to access the Q&A features of the bot. If your team isn’t on a Professional plan yet, reach out to us about upgrading or take a look at how to upgrade yourself here: How to change your subscription.
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Trax Codes Microsoft Teams app, designed to make your building code research even more seamless. With this integration, Trax Codes can now be accessed directly within your Teams environment! No more juggling credentials! The app uses the account of the currently logged-in Teams user for a smooth, secure login experience.
How to Add the Trax Codes App to Microsoft Teams
- Open Microsoft Teams: Launch the Teams app on your desktop or browser.
- Navigate to the App Store: In the left-hand sidebar, click on the “Apps” button.
- Search for Trax Codes: Use the search bar to find “Trax Codes” in the app catalog.
- Install the App: Click on the “Add” button to install the app.
- Pin the App (Optional): Right-click on the Trax Codes icon in your sidebar and select “Pin” for quick access.
- Start Using Trax Codes: Log in using your existing credentials, or simply enjoy automatic login if you’re already signed into Teams.
Effective January 1, 2025
Key amendments to Ontario's Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24), dated October 8, 2024:
- Mass Timber Construction Changes
- Allows EMTC buildings up to 18 storeys
- Expands permitted occupancy types
- Reduces encapsulation requirements
- Administrative Updates
- Incorporates 2012 Code provisions for Temporary Health and Residential Facilities
- Technical Revisions
- Updates referenced standards
- Includes minor editorial changes
View complete changes in Trax Codes using the Document Comparison tool (compare with May 15th version).
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