Canadian · Professional Licensing
TICO travel agency registration lookup.
Booking a trip through a website you have never used? The Travel Industry Council of Ontario runs a public search of registered travel businesses. This page explains the four search fields, what registration is meant to give you, and what the search cannot tell you.
TICO says it regulates Ontario’s more than 1,900 travel agencies, booking websites and tour operators. Its search is built on its own database at the moment you search and may not reflect very recent changes, so contact TICO if you need an official answer.
The four ways to search TICO’s register
TICO’s search form has four fields: Company or Trade Name, TICO Registration #, City, and a keyword the website contains. The keyword field is handy for a booking site where you know only part of the web address. TICO’s own advice is to start with only one search field and expand as required, because filling in several at once can hide a match caused by a small difference in a name.
TICO’s blog explains that each registered agency is given its own unique registration number, and that you can look for the TICO logo and the number on the agency’s website or documents. The pages we read do not describe a format for the number, so this page does not either. Find the number the agency gives you and let the search tell you whom it belongs to.
Search TICO’s register of travel businesses
Open the search, enter a trade name, a registration number, a city or a website keyword, and compare the result with the business you were dealing with.
What TICO registration is supposed to give a traveller
TICO administers the Travel Industry Act, 2002 on behalf of the Ontario government. It says that booking with a TICO-registered business gives you added consumer protection: disclosure of important information about your travel plans, a consumer complaints process and potential coverage under the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund. TICO’s blog adds that the compensation fund provides protection in the event of bankruptcy or insolvency.
Notice the word “potential”. TICO describes the coverage that way and the pages we read do not list every exclusion, so do not treat a registered agency as a guaranteed refund. For the rules that apply to a particular booking, read TICO’s consumer information and its compensation fund pages.
What a registered business must tell you
TICO’s blog on home-based agencies says registered agencies and TICO Certified travel counsellors must give certain disclosures before accepting payment, including the total price with all taxes and fees, the travel dates, a fair and accurate description of the services, cancellation penalties, availability of insurance and the travel documents each traveller needs. Its post on the value of registration says all-in pricing is the law in Ontario and that your invoice should include the agency’s TICO registration number.
The same post describes a rule on price increases: no increase is permitted after the customer has paid in full, and where an increase of more than 7 per cent (other than from a change in GST, PST or HST) is allowed, the customer has the right to cancel and obtain a full refund. Use these as a checklist when an unfamiliar site sends you an invoice.
Home-based agents and online booking sites
TICO says that all travel agencies and websites located and operating in Ontario must be TICO registered, and that selling travel services in Ontario without registration is a violation of the Travel Industry Act, 2002 and may result in charges. That includes home-based agencies, which TICO notes are legal when registered. It also says anyone selling travel services, even from home, must complete the TICO Certification program and pass the exam before selling on behalf of a registered Ontario agency or website. Ask the person for their agency’s registration number, not only their own name.
A worked example (hypothetical)
You see an advert for a resort package from a site called “Example Getaways”, a made-up business, and you only know its web address, not its legal name. The site gives no registration number.
Open TICO’s search and use only the website-keyword field first, entering the distinctive part of the address. If a registrant comes up, check that the trade name, city and website match what you saw. If nothing comes up, widen to the Company or Trade Name field with the name on the site, then try the city. If you still find nothing, ask the business for its TICO registration number and search on it. If a number is supplied but the search returns a different company, do not pay. If no result appears in any field, contact TICO using the phone or email on its site for an official answer, because TICO itself warns that the database may lag very recent changes. Do not pay until you are satisfied.
What this page does not cover
- It does not run the search, store anything you type or prove that a business is registered.
- It does not cover travel sellers outside Ontario, or travel services that are not sold in and from Ontario.
- It does not describe how much the Compensation Fund would pay in your case, or whether a given claim qualifies.
- It does not review the quality of a travel product, or the terms of a particular package.
- It does not state the format of a TICO registration number, which the TICO pages we read do not give.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a travel agency is registered with TICO?
Use TICO’s search for a travel agency, booking website or tour operator. Start with one field, such as the company name or the registration number, and expand only if needed.
Can I search by website address?
Yes. TICO’s form has a field for a keyword the website contains, which helps if you only know part of the web address.
Is the TICO search always up to date?
TICO says results are based on its database at the time of the search and may not reflect recent changes to a company’s status or registrant information. For an official search or clarification, contact TICO directly.
Does TICO registration guarantee a refund?
No guarantee is stated. TICO describes potential coverage under the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund. Read its consumer pages for what applies to your booking.
Do home-based travel agents need to be registered?
TICO says home-based agencies are legal when registered and that selling travel services in Ontario without registration violates the Travel Industry Act, 2002. Ask for the agency’s registration number.
What should be on my invoice?
TICO’s blog lists the price breakdown and total, fees for changes and cancellations, a description of services with dates and suppliers, the agency information including its TICO registration number, and insurance if purchased.
Can the price go up after I pay?
TICO’s blog says no price increases are permitted after you have paid in full. Before that, an increase of more than 7 per cent, apart from increases in GST, PST or HST, gives you the right to cancel for a full refund.
Does TNAADO verify travel agencies?
No. This page explains the TICO search and links to it. It does not look anyone up or collect any information.
Sources
Retrieved
- TICO: Travel Agency, Booking Website or Tour Operator search (fields, 1,900 figure, database caveat)
- TICO blog: 3 Ways to Tell if a Home-Based Travel Agency is Registered
- TICO blog: The Value of a TICO Registered Travel Agency or Website
Official register and regulator pages only. Each link was opened on the retrieval date and the facts above were read from it. The register itself is the authority.
Guide only — not a verification tool
This page explains a public register and links to it. TNAADO does not check anyone’s licence or registration, does not copy or proxy the register, and collects nothing you might look up. Nothing here is an official verification or professional advice. Details above were read from the regulator’s own website on 19 October 2026 and can change; always rely on the official register.