Runner Legal Guide

Ontario law does not require a criminal background check, commercial licence, or any waiting period to do delivery work. PorchRun activates you immediatelywhen you confirm the runner attestations: you're 18+, hold a valid licence, understand your insurance obligations, and accept the runner terms.

Trust is earned progressively instead of gating your signup:

• 🪪 ID Verified— automatic when you finish payout setup (~5 min). Stripe confirms your identity as part of paying you, at no cost. Unlocks errands with items declared over $100.
• 🛡️ Background Checked— optional badge. Get a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check yourself (online, ~$20–40, often same-day) and share it with support. It's shown on your profile — customers notice.

You must hold a valid Ontario Class G licence (or equivalent) to run deliveries in a standard car or truck under 11,000 kg GVW. No commercial licence class is required for personal vehicle delivery.

You attest to holding a valid licence at activation. Running with a suspended licence violates your runner terms and results in immediate safety-based deactivation.

Delivering Unscheduled OTC products(standard Advil, Tylenol, cold medicine, vitamins, antacids) has no special legal requirements — it's treated the same as any packaged good.

Filled prescriptions are allowedwhen the pharmacy releases them to you as the customer's designated agent — the pharmacist controls that handoff, not PorchRun. Controlled substances/narcotics are never permitted, and behind-the-counter (Schedule 2/3) products may be declined by the pharmacist. If you're unsure, decline the run and contact support.

Ontario's food handler certification requirements attach to food premises operators, not delivery drivers carrying sealed packaged goods. No food handler certificate is required for runners picking up sealed grocery bags from a store.

Best practices: keep perishables in a cooler or insulated bag; do not leave orders in a hot vehicle; deliver within a reasonable time of pickup.

Ontario's Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act, 2022 (DPWRA), in force July 1, 2025, gives you enforceable rights as a runner:

• Minimum wage for all time spent on assignments, including travel to pickup.
• Deactivation notice— PorchRun must give 2 weeks' written notice before permanent deactivation (except for safety-related removal).
• Written reasons for any suspension over 24 hours.
• Access to a dispute resolution process based in Ontario.
• Transparency about how your assignments are determined.

You are classified as an independent contractor, not an employee. This means you set your own schedule and can work for other platforms simultaneously.

As an independent contractor, you are responsible for reporting your PorchRun income to the CRA.

• Report income on T2125 (Statement of Business Activities)
• Deductible expenses include: fuel, vehicle maintenance (prorated for business use), phone, cooler/equipment
• If you earn more than $30,000/year from all self-employment combined, you must register for HST and remit quarterly
• PorchRun will issue a T4A if your earnings exceed $500 in a calendar year

Customer addresses, order details, and personal information you access through PorchRun are confidential. You may not share, copy, or use this information for any purpose other than completing the delivery.

Misuse of customer data is a violation of PorchRun's Terms of Service and may constitute an offence under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).