NotesOntario
Renewing your Ontario health card: who needs to, how to do it online, and what to have ready
An Ontario health card has to be renewed every five years, and for many adults it is a free job done online. Who qualifies, what you need beside you, when it is not an option, and how an old address can quietly block it.
An Ontario health card is the proof that you are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), and it is the thing you are asked for at a doctor's office, an emergency room or a lab. The card does not last forever. According to ServiceOntario, you must renew it every five years.
The good news is that for many people renewal costs nothing and takes place online. This note covers who can use that route, what to have ready, what to do if you cannot, and how an out-of-date address can get in the way.
The details below were read on Ontario.ca's official pages on 9 October 2026. Rules, fees and processing times change, so check the Renew a health card page before you act on anything here.
Who needs to renew, and when
Every Ontario photo health card has an expiry date, and the renewed card is valid for five years. Renewing is free, according to the Ontario government's renewal page. The renewed card is mailed to you, which the page says takes approximately four to six weeks.
That delay is worth planning around. Online renewal is open if your photo health card will expire within 180 days or expired within the past 180 days, so the window runs from about six months before the expiry date to about six months after it. Leaving it to the last week leaves little margin when mail can take six weeks.
Some people get a nudge. ServiceOntario offers free renewal reminders by email, text message or phone call for a green photo health card, a driver's licence, an Ontario Photo Card or a licence plate, for people aged 16 or older. They arrive 60 and 30 days before expiry, with a final one 30 days after if you have not renewed. Mailed notices continue for some people, including those aged 16 and under and 70 and above.
Can you renew online?
The online route is for a straightforward case. The renewal page lists these conditions:
- You have a valid Ontario photo health card that expires within 180 days, or expired within the past 180 days.
- The card has an up-to-date photo and signature.
- ServiceOntario has an up-to-date address for you. You cannot renew online within 90 days of changing your address with ServiceOntario.
Online, you prove who you are and that you live in Ontario with one of two things:
- a valid driver's licence (not suspended, cancelled or expired; it must not require a test, and must also have an up-to-date photo, signature and address), or
- a valid Ontario Photo Card (not expired or cancelled).
If your health card and driver's licence expire at the same time, and you do not need a new photo or signature, the page says you may be able to renew both in one go, and in that case you pay the licence fee with a Visa or Mastercard.
What to have ready
For the health card alone, the renewal page asks you to have three things in front of you:
- your most recent health card;
- your current driver's licence or Ontario Photo Card, as above;
- a printer, to print your temporary documents.
The printer is not a formality. The page says it is important to download, print and carry the temporary documents, which cover you while the new card is in the mail. Your licence or Photo Card is not renewed as part of this transaction.
When you have to go in person
ServiceOntario says you need to visit a centre and have a new photo taken if:
- you are replacing a red and white health card;
- your photo is five years old or older (not counting medical exemptions);
- you are turning 16;
- you are renewing in person;
- you are changing your name; or
- you received a notice in the mail from ServiceOntario telling you to.
A person turning 16 must renew in person, and can do so up to six months before the card expires. For a child under 15 and a half, an online renewal may be possible if the child was born in Ontario with an Ontario birth certificate, has a valid card expiring within 90 days and has an up-to-date address; otherwise the mailed renewal notice gives the next steps. Adults between 75 and 80 must renew in person to take a new photo, while those 80 and older can usually renew by mail when the reminder says so.
A virtual appointment, a video call with a ServiceOntario representative, is offered as a pilot for people whose card has not yet expired and who either have a permanent photo and signature exemption or are 18 or older with a valid photo card that needs no new photo. Anyone who cannot attend for medical reasons can use a medical exemption request, which a licensed Ontario physician or nurse practitioner completes.
Bringing documents
At a centre, the renewal page lists what to take:
- your current health card;
- proof of your Ontario residency and your identity, taken from the Ontario Health Coverage Document List;
- your most recent citizenship or immigration document, if that status has changed since your current card was issued;
- your marriage certificate, if you are using a married name for the first time;
- optionally, a printed renewal form.
If the card has expired, or you have been out of the province for more than seven months in the last twelve, you may be asked for more documents showing Ontario is your primary residence.
The document list asks for originals, and photocopies are not accepted. Proof of residency can be, among other things, a valid Ontario driver's licence, a utility bill, a monthly bank statement, a rental or lease agreement or a property tax bill; a printed or digital copy works for most, but a driver's licence must be an original. Proof of identity must show your name and signature, and the options include a credit card, a passport or a student ID card.
The photo is taken at the centre. The page asks for a completely visible face, a neutral expression (no smiling) and a straight-on pose, with hair clear of the eyes. Religious or medical headwear is allowed if it does not cover any part of the face.
How to change your address
ServiceOntario says you must update the address on your health card within 30 days of moving, so the Ministry of Health has your new address on file and your renewal notices find you. You can do it:
- online;
- in person at a ServiceOntario centre;
- by mail, with a completed Change of Address form.
Online, a photo health card needs your health card number and version code, the postal code on your current driver's licence and the nine characters on the back of the card. If your card has an address printed on it, you must go in person. A change is free, and no new card is mailed, since the card does not show an address.
The address change connects directly to renewal. Because you cannot renew online within 90 days of changing your address, a move shortly before expiry can force an in-person visit. If you move close to your expiry date, an in-person renewal may be the simpler route, and updating the address early keeps the online option open for next time.
If the card is lost, damaged or expired
A lost, stolen or damaged photo health card can be replaced by phone, at 1-800-664-8988, only if the card has not expired and your name and address have not changed. Otherwise a centre visit is required, with proof of Ontario residency and proof of identity. An expired photo health card has to be replaced at a centre after the renewal date.
A short checklist
- Look at the expiry date on your card now and set a calendar reminder for about six months before it.
- Sign up for ServiceOntario's free reminders, which will never ask for payment or for sensitive details such as a health card number in the message.
- Confirm that your driver's licence or Photo Card is valid, and that your address is current.
- Keep the printed temporary document with you until the new card arrives.
Drafted with AI assistance.