OFSC Tips For September Permit & Gift Card Buying


How to Lock In the Lowest Permit Fee & the Highest Rider Advantage Confidence Bonus

(Barrie, ON: September 10, 2020) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is pleased to report a strong kick off to early permit sales in the first two weeks of September. Snowmobilers across the province are showing their support for pre-season trail preparations, while benefiting from the lowest permit fee and qualifying for the highest Rider Advantage Confidence Bonus.

About Ontario Snowmobile Trail Permits

Under Ontario law, Snowmobile Trail Permits sold by the OFSC under the authority of the Ministry of Transportation are mandatory for recreational snowmobiling on OFSC Prescribed Trails. All revenues from these MTO permits are allocated through the OFSC to deliver organized snowmobile trails.

2021 Early Permit Buying Tips

Buying a 2021 Snowmobile Trail Permit online is easy. All you need is a device with access to the internet, a valid email address, and a valid Vehicle (sled) Identification Number (VIN) & registration (license) numbers – and a permit account.

Your Permit Account: If you are a previous online permit purchaser and the registered owner of the sled for which you are buying the permit, access your existing permit account. If you are a new online buyer and the registered owner of the sled for which you are buying the permit, set up your new account. It’s important to ensure that the info on your Account Profile page is accurate and up to date.

Selecting Free Benefits: Please note that the bottom of your Account Profile also has selection boxes where you sign up for free benefits like the Rider Advantage Program, the OFSC Newsletter and subscriptions to the OFSC Go Snowmobiling Ontario Magazine and Supertrax. You must select “YES” for each of these at the time of permit purchase in order to receive them. At the same time, you can also sign up to volunteer for your local club.

Completing the Transaction: After double-checking your Account Profile, select the permit type you wish to purchase and complete the transaction using your credit card. You will receive an email confirmation of purchase and your permit will be mailed in October 2020.

2021 Permit Gift Card Tips

What if you don’t have the sled you’ll ride for the coming season yet? This means you may not have a VIN or sled license numbers, so can’t actually buy a 2021 permit at this time. Don’t let that stop you, because that’s what gift cards are for.

Lock In The Best Permit Fee: Permit Gift Cards were introduced last season for two reasons. One, for riders who don’t have sleds yet, and two, so anyone can give a permit as a gift to someone else. In either case, you can lock in the lowest Seasonal or Classic Permit fee of the season without a VIN or license – and for 2021, also qualify for the highest Rider Advantage Confidence Bonus (as long as you buy the gift card in September and it’s redeemed for a permit before February 16, 2021).

Name the Recipient: Purchasing a Permit Gift Card isn’t that different from buying an actual permit. As the buyer, you still need a device with access to the internet, a valid email address, permit account, and credit card. But the biggest difference is that the buyer must enter the gift card recipient’s name and postal code when prompted.  This is necessary to ensure that recipient’s name is on the gift card (because the buyer’s will not be unless the buyer and recipient are the same person). Only the recipient named on the gift card can redeem it for an actual permit.

Redeeming A Gift Card: The gift card buyer will receive an email with a gift card certificate in the recipient’s name. The recipient can use it to get an actual permit at any time regardless of the fee paid for the gift card. Just remember the gift card itself is not a valid permit and can only be redeemed by the named recipient for the Seasonal or Classic Permit type as purchased.

The OFSC reminds early permit buyers that the Rider Advantage Confidence Bonus is $50 until midnight September 30, 2020 and $25 from October 1 to midnight November 1, 2020.


The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is a volunteer led not for profit association that provides the voice for organized snowmobiling in the Province of Ontario. The snowmobile trails managed by 200 community based, member organizations, generate up to $3.3 billion in economic activity across the province each year.