A valve needs a Canadian Registration Number (CRN) when it is attached to a boiler, pressure vessel or pressure piping system that the province regulates, because CSA B51 treats line valves as Category C fittings and fitting designs are registered separately in each province where they are used. Ontario and Alberta require a CRN for valves even when they are made to a recognized standard. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec exempt standard valves made to specifications recognized in ASME codes, but not proprietary or unlisted designs.
CRN basics and the CSA B51 fitting categories
A CRN is issued by a provincial or territorial safety authority and legally allows a boiler, pressure vessel or fitting to be installed and used (TSSA). Since January 1, 2020, the Reconciliation Agreement for the CRN has let participating jurisdictions recognize each other’s design reviews, so later provinces register a design reciprocally, but each still issues its own registration (Technical Safety BC).
CSA B51 Table 1 sorts fittings into eight categories: A pipe fittings, B flanges, C line valves, D expansion joints, flexible connections and hose assemblies, E strainers, filters, separators and steam traps, F measuring and indicating devices, G certified pressure relief devices, and H other pressure-retaining components. The letter appears in the number: TSSA’s fitting registration guideline shows one catalogue registered as 0A0675.5 for pipe fittings, 0B0675.5 for flanges and 0C0675.5 for valves.
When a valve needs a CRN, province by province
Start with scope. In Ontario, fittings in pressure-retaining systems designed above 15 psi (103 kPa) must be registered, and an item only counts as a fitting when it is attached to a regulated boiler, pressure vessel or piping system (Code Adoption Document BPV-25-01 R1). In Alberta, ABSA’s pressure piping FAQ states that piping in non-expansible fluid service, such as fire water, is not subject to the Pressure Equipment Safety Regulation. Then the province decides how a standard valve is treated:
| Province | Authority and source | Standard line valve (Category C) |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | TSSA | Registration required; the guideline gives no standard-valve exemption. |
| Alberta | ABSA | Registration required, on an AB-41 statutory declaration or an AB-351 Declaration of Conformity. |
| British Columbia | Technical Safety BC, D-BP 2013-03 | Exempt if the valve complies with a standard listed in Table 126.1 of ASME B31.1, 326.1 of B31.3, 526.1 of B31.5 or 926.1 of B31.9. |
| Saskatchewan | TSASK | Exempt if it complies with standards listed in the B31.1, B31.3 or B31.5 tables. |
| Manitoba | Inspection and Technical Services, ITS 20-009 | Exempt since April 1, 2017, using the same four B31 tables as BC. |
| Quebec | RBQ, regulation amended July 2026 | Category A, B and C fittings made to a standard nationally recognized by ASME need not be registered. The manufacturer keeps the plans for at least 5 years after production stops. |
| NB, NS, PE, NL, YT, NT, NU | Local regulator, supported by ACI Central | Confirm exemptions with the jurisdiction before ordering. |
None of these standard-fitting exemptions covers Category D or E, so in the six provinces above, strainers, steam traps, hose assemblies and flexible connectors in a regulated system still need a CRN (Saskatchewan separately exempts fittings registered by CSA). An exemption also removes only the registration step; the Technical Safety BC fittings checklist notes that an exempt fitting must still meet the Act and Regulations.
How a fitting gets registered
- The manufacturer registers each fitting category separately; in Ontario that means one Declaration of Conformity per category, while BC asks for one declaration per manufacturing location. In BC, a registrant other than the manufacturer needs the manufacturer’s letter of authorization plus its own declaration and quality certificate.
- The package covers a scope of registration (models, sizes, ratings, materials), drawings or catalogue pages, calculations or witnessed proof test reports, and a quality program certificate meeting CSA B51 Annex F, such as ISO 9001.
- Ontario accepted statutory declarations for fitting registrations only until the end of 2025 and now asks for a Declaration of Conformity. Alberta takes AB-41, declared before a commissioner of oaths or notary public, or AB-351.
- Fittings made outside Canada are first registered in the province where they will first be used (CSA B51:24 clause 5.4.2, as cited by TSSA), then reciprocally in the other jurisdictions that take part in the Reconciliation Agreement; elsewhere, expect a separate review.
- BC and Saskatchewan require revalidation ten years after first acceptance, and BC treats a registration as valid only while a current quality certificate is on file.
Common mistakes on Canadian projects
A CRN from the wrong province
An Alberta registration alone does not cover a job in Ontario. Ask for the acceptance letter or registration record that names the province of installation. A CE mark under the Pressure Equipment Directive, covered in our PED guide, is not a Canadian registration either.
The wrong category letter
Following TSSA’s numbering example, a 0B number offered for a valve points to a flange registration. Check that the letter matches the product.
Non-ASME materials and unlisted standards
When a material is not an ASME or ASTM grade, TSSA asks for its mechanical properties at room and design temperature and the nearest ASME or ASTM equivalent. For fittings built to a code other than the ASME codes, Technical Safety BC requires a copy of that code, translated into English if necessary. Valves built only to standards that are not in the cited tables fall outside the exemptions above.
Exempt piping does not mean exempt valves
ABSA confirms that registered fittings are still required in an Alberta piping system exempt from design registration under the 500 L (0.5 m³) volume rule. Pipe itself is material and does not need a fitting CRN.
Expired registrations and missing marking
Compare the registration expiry date with the delivery date. Ontario also requires fitting stamping, where practicable, that is traceable to the manufacturer and to the CRN.
Submittal checklist
- Province and system design pressure confirmed before the RFQ
- Valve CRN with category C, plus the registration record for that province
- Registered scope covering the quoted model, size range, pressure class and body material
- Expiry date after delivery and a current quality certificate for the plant
- For BC, SK, MB or QC exemptions: the valve standard and the rule that exempts it
- Body marking traceable to the manufacturer and the CRN
- Material test reports written into the purchase order, since ABSA does not require them for pipe and fittings (see our EN 10204 guide)
Add these lines to your bid comparison using our valve quotation checklist.
Sourcing industrial valves for a regulated system in Canada? Send the valve list, province of installation and design conditions through our contact page, email info@valve-atlas.com or call +1 (647) 553-7109. Follow ValveAtlas on LinkedIn for weekly market briefings and technical explainers.
