Duration of SOIRA Orders

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General Principles

See also: SOIRA Orders and Early Termination of SOIRA Orders

Under Section 490.13, the length of the SOIRA order is based on the election and the maximum penalty.

Flowchart for duration of SOIRA Order



Date order begins

490.013 (1) An order made under section 490.012 [SOIRA orders] begins on the day on which it is made.

Duration of order [first offence]

(2) An order made under subsection 490.012(1) [power to make SOIRA orders – designated offences] or (2) [SOIRA order – previous offence or obligation]

(a) ends 10 years after it was made if the offence in connection with which it was made was prosecuted summarily or if the maximum term of imprisonment for the offence is two or five years;
(b) ends 20 years after it was made if the maximum term of imprisonment for the offence is 10 or 14 years; and
(c) applies for life if the maximum term of imprisonment for the offence is life.
Duration of order [more than one offence]

(2.1) An order made under subsection 490.012(1) [power to make SOIRA orders – designated offences] applies for life if the person is convicted of, or found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder for, more than one offence referred to in paragraph (a), (c), (c.1), (d), (d.1) or (e) of the definition “designated offence” in subsection 490.011(1) [sex offender information – definitions].

Duration of order

(3) An order made under subsection 490.012(1) [power to make SOIRA orders – designated offences] or (2) [SOIRA order – previous offence or obligation] applies for life if the person is, or was at any time, subject to an obligation under section 490.019 [Obligation to Comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act — Convictions Before December 15, 2004] or 490.02901 [Obligation to Comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act — Convictions Outside Canada], under section 227.06 of the National Defence Act or under section 36.1 of the International Transfer of Offenders Act.

Duration of order

(4) An order made under subsection 490.012(1) [power to make SOIRA orders – designated offences] or (2) [SOIRA order – previous offence or obligation] applies for life if the person is, or was at any time, subject to an order made previously under section 490.012 [SOIRA orders] of this Act or section 227.01 of the National Defence Act.

Duration of order

(5) An order made under subsection 490.012(3) [power to make SOIRA orders – other circumstances] applies for life.
2004, c. 10, s. 20; 2007, c. 5, s. 14; 2010, c. 17, s. 6; 2014, c. 25, s. 27.
[annotation(s) added]

CCC (CanLII), (DOJ)


Note up: 490.013(1), (2), (2.1), (3), (4), and (5)


Lifetime Duration

An order must be made for a minimum of life where:

  • "if the person is convicted of, or found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder for, more than one offence" that is a "designated offence". (490.013 (2.1))
  • "if the person is, or was at any time, subject to an obligation under section 490.019 or 490.02901, under section 227.06 of the National Defence Act or under section 36.1 of the International Transfer of Offenders Act" (490.013 (3))
  • "if the person is, or was at any time, subject to [a SOIRA] order made previously" (490.013 (4))


Lifetime duration is not permitted under s. 490.013(2.1).[1]

Correcting SOIRA of Improper Duration

See SOIRA_Orders#Appeal_From_Order

See Also