Licensing of Class II Nuclear Facilities
Requirements for the licensing of Class II nuclear facilities are prescribed by the Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations, as well as the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations and the Radiation Protection Regulations.
- Class II nuclear facility licences
- Licence application guides and forms
- Changes to licences
- Exempted activities
- Usetypes
- Consolidated licensing
- Licence turnaround times
Class II nuclear facility licences
The CNSC may only issue a licence to a Class II nuclear facility when:
- the Commission considers the applicant to be qualified
- the applicant has made adequate provision for the protection of the environment and the health and safety of persons
- the applicant otherwise meets the requirements prescribed by the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA) and its Regulations.
There are four categories of Class II nuclear facility licences:
If you wish to construct a Class II nuclear facility in Canada, you must first obtain a Licence to construct. An application for a licence to construct is assessed to ensure:
- the applicant has control of the site upon which the Class II nuclear facility will be built
- the facility design is in compliance with the requirements prescribed by the NSCA and its Regulations
The facility design must take into account the safety and security of the public, as well as environmental considerations. Note that a licence to construct does NOT authorize the licensee to possess nuclear substances or produce radiation.
Before possessing nuclear substances or producing radiation, you must first obtain a Licence to operate. Licences to operate are separated into two categories:
1. Licence to operate for the purpose of commissioning
Licensees in this category can operate Class II prescribed equipment for the purposes of confirming the robustness of their facility design, and for ensuring that all associated safety systems are functioning properly. Licensees must report back to the CNSC on their findings and provide satisfactory test results. Note that medical facilities with this type of licence may NOT use the prescribed equipment for patient treatment.
2. Licence for routine operation
Once the licensee has demonstrated to the CNSC that the facility is operating as expected, that it has properly trained staff, and that all safety systems are in place and functional, a Licence for routine operation can be issued. This allows the prescribed equipment to be operated for its intended purpose without restriction, but still within the confines of the NSCA, its regulations, and any licence conditions that have been imposed.
Applicants for a licence to decommission are required to demonstrate that any Class II nuclear facility under their supervision will be properly dismantled, with particular care taken to ensure proper handling and disposal of radioactive substances.
In order to perform servicing activities in Canada, a Licence to service must be obtained. There are two categories of service licences:
- Licence to service (by operator): allows operators of Class II nuclear facilities to have their own in-house servicing staff. Servicing operations may only be carried out at facilities owned by the operator.
- Licence to service (third party): This type of licence allows entities such as prescribed equipment manufacturers or independent servicing companies to service prescribed equipment, typically throughout Canada.
Before receiving a licence to service, applicants must demonstrate that they have the correct expertise in terms of equipment operation and maintenance, as well as radiation safety.
Licence application guides and forms
In order to apply for a licence, please fill out the appropriate form below.
| Licence Category | Licence Application Guide | Licence Application Form | Applicable Usetype(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
License to construct, operate and decommission the following facilities:
|
Licence application guide radiotherapy (RD/GD-120) | RD/GD-120: Licence application form – radiotherapy (PDF) | 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 541, 542, 551, 552, 554, 555, 560, 561 |
| License to service any Class II prescribed equipment | Licence Application Guide |
RD/GD-207: Application Form – Service Class II Prescribed Equipment (PDF) | 565, 566 |
If the Licence application guide or form for your desired usetype is not present in the table above, please contact your licensing officer or contact the CNSC at info@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca.
Further guidance may be found by visiting the CNSC Regulatory Instruments Index.
Changes to licences
If you wish the Commission to amend, revoke or replace a licence, you must make your request in writing and provide any additional information required regarding your request. The request should be made by contacting your licensing officer.
Exempted activities
The Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations also exempt certain activities from licensing requirements. For Class II nuclear facilities, the following activities may be carried out without a licence:
- site preparation for a facility
- construction, operation, modification, decommissioning or abandonment of a facility that consists of a geophysical logging accelerator
- decommissioning of a facility that consists of a brachytherapy remote afterloader
A person may possess, transfer or produce Class II prescribed equipment without a licence, as long as it does not contain any nuclear substances.
Usetypes
The CNSC categorizes various licensed equipment and activities into what are known as “usetypes”. A usetype is a single licensed activity or type of equipment, in a particular stage of licensing.
In most cases, only one usetype may appear on a particular licence. A cancer treatment centre operating medical particle accelerators, remote brachytherapy aferloaders, and with servicing personnel on staff is said to have three separate usetypes, and a separate licence must be obtained for each. Usetypes are defined by the licensing stage of the prescribed equipment; a particle accelerator in the routine operation phase is a different usetype than a particle accelerator that is in the decommissioning phase.
Consolidated licensing
Some common usetypes related to radiation therapy can be consolidated into a single usetype. There are many advantages to consolidated licensing, including reduced paperwork throughout the licensing cycle and a 10-year renewal period (most current radiation therapy licences have 5-year renewal periods).
Read more about Consolidated Licensing.
Licence turnaround times
When a licence application is received at the CNSC, it goes through the following steps:
- entry into our electronic records system
- assessment for relevant fees, if applicable
- entry into our licensing database
- technical assessment by a licensing officer
- quality assurance
- sign-off by a designated officer
- licence issued and mailed/faxed to licensee
The chart below shows the typical time it takes to perform the technical assessment of a licence application. The timelines assume that the application received was complete, and that no further clarification was needed on the information submitted. If the CNSC receives an incomplete application, the processing time will restart from the date the updated information is obtained.
| Licence Type | Processing Time* |
|---|---|
| Construction | 8 weeks |
| Commissioning | 6 weeks |
| Servicing | 6 weeks |
| Routine operation | 2 weeks |
| Decommissioning | 2 weeks |
| Licence amendments | Varies depending on scope |
* NOTE: Please add 2 weeks to each of the above timelines to account for administrative tasks, fee processing, etc.