Tarion / HCRA marketing rules — builders must NOT use "Tarion Registered Builder" post-Feb 2021; must display HCRA licence; "Backed by the Tarion Warranty" is permissible

Claim: Tarion and HCRA have a coordinated marketing-disclosure position:

• Builders must NOT continue to advertise themselves as "Tarion Registered Builders" after February 1, 2021. Old Tarion Registered Builder logos should be removed from materials, signage and advertising and replaced with "licensed by the HCRA."
• Builders MUST display their HCRA licence at their principal business address, on their website (if they have one), and at any premises where they conduct business with the public — under s. 4 of O. Reg. 626/20 to the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017. The licence must be displayed without obstruction in a publicly accessible location.
• Referring to the warranty itself ("Tarion-warrantied," "Tarion warranty included," "Backed by the Tarion Warranty Corporation") is permissible — every new home in Ontario from a licensed builder is, by law, enrolled in the warranty.
• False or misleading advertising is a breach of the HCRA Code of Ethics (HCRA Code of Ethics s.17 requires accurate advertising; superlatives ("best", "safest") without substantiation are a discipline risk) and a basis for licence action.
• Builders cannot misrepresent licensure status or imply HCRA/Tarion endorsement of construction quality beyond what the program provides.

Sources:

• GSNH LLP and Mondaq guidance on the 2021 marketing-rule change.
• HCRA Directive — Licence Display Requirements.

Confidence: Verified.

Practical clarification for builder clients:

• ✗ "Tarion Registered Builder" badge — must be removed.
• ✓ "Licensed by the HCRA — Licence #B[xxxxx]" — required.
• ✓ "Every new home backed by the Tarion Warranty" — permissible if accurate.
• ✗ "Tarion-approved" or "HCRA-endorsed" — misleading; the licence is permission to operate, not an endorsement.

Companion: the May 2026 builder-website audit (May 2026 builder-website Tarion-disclosure audit — Tridel/Minto/Tamarack have dedicated Tarion pages; Daniels/Brookfield/Empire less explicit; cleanest pattern is per-project warranty workflow) found display practice is inconsistent across Ontario builders, especially the largest GTA brands.