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Road Permits and Applications

HomeRoads and TransportationRoad Permits and Applications
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The District issues a variety of road permits based on the type of activity being performed. Most activities on District roads will require a permit. Some activities require more than one permit. 

The District has moved to a permit application system, Permit Central, for the following road permits: 

  • Road occupancy permit (ROP’s) 
  • Sign permit
  • Overweight/over dimensional permit (this is now split into two separate forms depending on the type of permit you are applying for [annual versus single-trip]) 
  • Pre-consultation (pre-approval for entrance permits pertaining to a property severance) 
  • Entrance permit

Additional permits that will be incorporated into this new program shortly, include:

  • James Bartleman Park permit  
  • License of Occupation permit
  • Special Event permit

To apply for one of these permits, please download the application below and email it, with all of your required documentation, to roads.permits@muskoka.on.ca at least 90 days before the date of your event or installation.  

James Bartleman Island Park Permit

Applications for usage of James Bartleman Island Park are at the discretion of the District. All proposed events must be submitted with an application at least 90 days prior to the event. The application fee is $62.92 (plus HST).  If an event exceeds four hours, Committee and Council approval may be required. 

James Bartleman Island Park Permit 


Resources

  • Delegate power to issue special event permits on the island By-Law 2011-44 
  • James Bartleman Island Park Site Plan  
Licence of Occupation Permit

License of Occupation Permits are required for any structure such as a dock, boathouse or utilities being constructed or transferred by the adjacent landowner, on a District road.

Protect yourself and your assets by ensuring a License of Occupation is in place with the District. 

  • Application processing fee must accompany the application.
  • If approved, a legal fee of $247 (plus HST) will be charged to prepare the agreement.
  • Annual fees will apply to maintain the License of Occupation as per the agreement. 

License of Occupation Application  

Category

Application
Fee (+hst)

Annual Fee (+ hst)

Admin Tracking

Fee (+hst)

Associated Legal
Fee (+hst)

Due Date

Waterfront

$  680.00

$ 680.00

$ 0.00

$ 247.00

Annually on approval date

Structural
Non-waterfront

$  680.00

$ 680.00

$ 0.00

$ 247.00

Annually on approval date

Commercial

$  680.00

$ 680.00

$ 0.00

$ 247.00

Annually on approval date

Recreational

$  680.00

$ 0.00

$ 186.00

$ 247.00

Upon license approval

Utility

$  680.00

$ 0.00

$ 186.00

$ 247.00

Upon license approval

 

Special Event Permit - Temporary Road Closure/Usage

A special event permit is required for any event that uses a District Road. There are two types of agreements that can be applied for on District Roads, a Road Closure or a Road Usage. The definitions and requirements of each are outlined further below:

Road Closure

A road closure involves the complete closure of a District roadway to all vehicular traffic.  All road closure applications must meet the following criteria, at minimum, to be considered as a complete for approval. Only complete applications will be accepted for any proposed new or recurring Special Events:

1. Completion of a Temporary Road Usage Permit Application;  

2. A Certificate of Insurance (COI) which includes The District Municipality of Muskoka as an additional insured.  If you have questions on insurance coverage requirements, please contact a Purchasing and Risk Management Advisor by calling 705-645-2100.

3. Detailed mapping showing the planned locations of any closure(s) and proposed detour.  This must include the dates and times of the proposed closure(s) and detour(s).

4. Inclusion of a Traffic Control Plan (TCP) prepared by a qualified person (QP).  A qualified person is considered to be anyone who is trained and competent in complying with the requirements of Ontario Traffic Manual Book 7 as developed by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario.  A TCP includes signage and traffic notification requirements to ensure public safety during any event for road closure or usage (similar to construction work).  A QP often includes staff from either a transportation consultant, roads contractor or traffic control service provider.  Sample traffic plans can be shared by calling 705-645-2100 ext. 4599.

5. Applicants are required to include a supporting memo from the QP indicating that they have prepared their TCP in compliance with MTO Book 7 as part of their application.  Note that applicants are required to provide, install and remove any and all event related signage and traffic control requirements at their cost as well as ensure that Emergency Services have been given preliminary notification of the event (including Fire, Ambulance and Police).

 

Road Usage

A road usage involves occupation of any portion of the road right-of-way and can include road shoulders and lanes.  Vehicle traffic is allowed to flow through the event as normal or traffic is slightly altered to accommodate the event (using a portion of a single lane, for example).  Any road usage which affects or impedes the normal operation of traffic within a District roadway is subject to the same requirements listed above for a Road Closure.  While still requiring a special event agreement, special event applications that do not interfere with or impede normal traffic patterns (meaning no lane encroachments) can be considered for exemption from the TCP requirements outlined above on a case-by-case basis.  All other submission requirements would still apply.  Applicants are encouraged to contact the District Public Works Department with any questions or concerns regarding which type of requirements are applicable to their event.

Upon receipt of a complete application for a road closure or usage, staff will undertake the following in order to facilitate an agreement for the Event:

1. Complete a review of the application form, event mapping, COI and review the proposed TCP;

2. Follow-up with the applicant on any questions, concerns or clarifications which may be required in order to process the request;

3. Once the items above are resolved, prepare the necessary agreement or permit to allow the event to occur.

All applicants are advised that the 90-day submission lead time requirement is considered to have started only when a complete application is received. Incomplete applications will not be considered for further approval until any omissions in the application are resolved. 

Temporary Road Usage Permit Application  

 Applying for a Permit in Permit Central 

To apply for a permit using this system, use the following link to direct you to the new Permit Central Program.  Please use the How-to document for guidance on applying for a permit.  

 
Please review the permit’s description, conditions, policy, and bylaws carefully before applying for a permit as some of these may have changed.  Some Changes to be aware of include:  

  • You will now be required to apply and pay a fee for a pre-consultation related to an entrance permit through a separate pre-consultation permit. (note: not all entrance permits require pre-consultation).  
  • You can use one permit to apply for a single trip overweight/over dimensional permit, even if there are multiple vehicles if they are all being used for the same activity (conditions apply).  
  • You must apply by the timeline outlined in the conditions for that specific permit, if applicable. If your application is submitted following the cut-off date, we cannot guarantee that it will be reviewed by the timeline required for your activity.  
  • Once you have applied for a permit, you will receive an email notifying you that the District has received your application. Please note, this initial email is NOT an approval.  
  • You will receive additional follow up emails from permit central if you have not completed your payment, if there are revisions required as part of your application, if your application has been approved or denied.  
  • If your activity requires more than one permit (i.e. pre-consultation, entrance permits, ROP’s), you can link all these permits in Permit Central or by using the link provided in your approval email for the original permit.  
Payment

For applications processed through the new Permit Central program, we will no longer be accepting payments over the phone. These payments must be processed online through Permit Central.

  • Please note, initial payments for licenses of occupation are processed through EPW administrative staff while annual payments will be completed via the billing department. Approvals will not be officially binding until payment has been received and can be revoked if reoccurring payments are not received prior to the renewal date.  
  • Please don’t send documents related to Permit Central applications to the District via email. All information and communication must be included through Permit Central for tracking purposes. You can do this by referring to the link provided in the original acknowledgement email or by logging back into the program and locating your specific permit. You can upload all your documentation directly into the permit application.  
  • Some applications require additional information following the approval of the permit and completion of work (I.e. road occupancy permits). 
  • Please see the resources section for additional forms associated with road permits. These will also be linked in the acknowledgement emails as well as in the permit application itself on Permit Central.  
Forms
  •  Release of liability form 
Resources
  • Access policy 
  • Access onto District Roads By-Law 87-50 
  • Entrance permit identification cards 
  • How-to guide
  • Installation of Signs on District Road Allowances By-Law 2021-33 
  • Ontario Traffic Manual Book 7 
  • Highway Traffic Act  
Questions?

For additional information on road permit applications, please contact the road permits team at roads.permits@muskoka.on.ca

 

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70 Pine Street
Bracebridge, ON P1L 1N3

Phone: 705-645-2100
Fax: 705-645-5319

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