Policy

An automated registry agent must account for all controlled inventory items assigned to their office and retain appropriate records for audit purposes.

Ordering Inventory

Controlled Inventory

A registry agent must order all controlled inventory items through MOVES. Examples include:

• Licence plates.
• Vehicle registrations.
• Driver abstracts.
• Applications.

Orders for controlled inventory must be placed using the MOVES Supervisor (SRA) User ID.

Base order records indicating the appropriate type and quantity of Controlled Inventory are established for each registry agent through MOVES. If a base order is insufficient, the registry agent must contact ROADS Administration via email, and provide the following information:

• Their office MVID
• The specific item number
• The desired increase required
• The reason for the request.

Non Controlled Inventory

A registry agent must order non-controlled Motor Vehicles inventory in accordance to the General Administration Manual; see 1.10 Inventory, Office Supplies and Records.

Inventory Shipment

Inventory is shipped prepaid from the Distribution Centre to the registry agent. Upon receipt of an inventory shipment, a registry agent must:

• Receive the shipment in accordance to the General Administration Manual; see 1.10 Inventory, Office Supplies and Records.
• Store controlled inventory shipments in a secure area until such time as the contents are verified.

Receiving Inventory

A registry agent must:

• Physically verify the inventory received to ensure that the actual shipment reconciles with items listed on the Bill of Lading, from the Distribution Centre.
  • Check off each package / box or individual inventory item (as applicable) on the Bill of Lading to indicate that it has been reconciled.
  • Sealed inventory packages or boxes do not require a physical count/verification of each individual item until the package / box is opened for issuance.
• Receive all verified controlled inventory in MOVES.
• All inventories must be RECEIVED in MOVES within one business day of delivery.
• Date, sign, and file the Bill of Lading in chronological order.
• Retain the Bill of Lading for 90 days. After 90 days, it may be destroyed. 

Verifying Inventory before Issuance

Prior to issuing controlled inventory a registry agent must open the inventory package and / or box of plates and confirm that all items indicated on the package label are accounted for. 

Defective Inventory

A registry agent must verify all inventory/licence plates for possible defects such as:

• Discolouring.
• Illegible letters and numbers.
• Bubbling, peeling or chipping of paint.

A registry agent must record defective inventory items on MOVES on a daily basis.

All defective inventory / licence plate(s) must be forwarded to Motor Vehicles with the corresponding Inventory Stage Report.

Duplicated Inventory

If a controlled inventory item is duplicated, a registry agent must retain one, and securely destroy the duplicate. Duplicate plates must be sent for destruction. A registry agent may dispense the inventory item that they retained once the duplicate has been destroyed.

A registry agent must email Contract Administration to advise them of the duplicated item.

Void or Missing Inventory

A registry agent must:

• Record void inventory items on MOVES on a daily basis.
• Record void on the document and the reason it is being voided.
  • Ensure the document is properly defaced by writing VOID across the usable portion of the inventory form to prevent unauthorized use. (For example: the bottom portion of the F0405 – Vehicle Registration Certificate).
  • Attach all void inventory (in the order it is listed) to the corresponding Inventory Stage Report and forward monthly to Motor Vehicles.
• Record missing inventory items on MOVES on a daily basis.
  • If a licence plate is missing, the registry agent must report the loss / theft to law enforcement.
  • Prepare a letter containing the following information and submit it to Motor Vehicles with the corresponding Inventory Stage Report. 
    • The date the inventory was declared missing.
    • Description of the missing inventory item(s).
    • Circumstances leading to the disappearance of the inventory item(s).
    • Actions taken to recover missing inventory item(s).
  • If the missing item is a licence plate, the letter must also include:
    • A police file number.
    • The name of the police agency the loss was reported to.
  • Contact Registries Performance & Accountability via email if missing inventory item(s) are recovered.

Note:
It is important that missing / stolen licence plates are reported to law enforcement as quickly as possible after learning the plate is missing.

Expired Inventory

Controlled Inventory

A registry agent must:

• Change the stage of the expired inventory to WRITEOFF.
• Capture a MOVES screen print of the written-off inventory and retain for reconciliation to the office stage report; do not send this screen print with your monthly Inventory Stage Report.
• Destroy the expired inventory in accordance with the destruction methods located in 1.05.03 Records Retention and Disposal-Section.

Non-Controlled Inventory

Registry agents must destroy all outdated non-controlled inventory forms to avoid the use of these forms, see 1.05.03 Records Retention and Disposal Section.

Monthly Inventory Stage Report

A monthly Inventory Stage Report listing the inventory held by the registry agent in various stages is printed on the second Sunday of each month at the registry agent’s office. A registry agent must:

• Physically count the inventory stock on hand at the close of business prior to the printing of the Inventory Stage Report or the next morning before the office opens.
• Compare the counted inventory on hand to the printed Inventory Stage Report to ensure all inventory is accounted for.
  • Check off each individual inventory item on the Inventory Stage Report to indicate that it has been reconciled.
    • For single inventory items, a status must be recorded (e.g.: in office, dispensed, etc.) on the stage report.
• Date and sign the first page of the Inventory Stage Report once it has been reconciled.
• Attach the following items to the corresponding Inventory Stage Report and forward it to Motor Vehicles.
  • All void and defective inventory.
  • All letters pertaining to missing inventory items.
  • All letters pertaining to any missing void inventory.
• Ensure that all pages of the Inventory Stage Report are sent to Motor Vehicles and arrive no later than the last day of the month in which they are printed.

Note:
Stage reports that arrive after the end of the month in which they are printed will be considered late.

Registries Performance & Accountability will verify the void, defective and missing items on the Inventory Stage Report and retain the report for audit purposes.

Date Originally Issued: Nov 14, 1989
Date Last Revised: Nov 29, 2023