Important Notice

October 25, 2024

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) is consulting on updates to its Rules of Procedure to facilitate fair, just and expeditious resolutions of the matters before it. For more information, see our operational update.

Note: Documents you submit to the tribunal are available to the public on request, subject to limited exceptions.

Forms and Filing


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Application and Response forms

The Applications (Forms 1 and 1G) and Response (Form 2) are Smartforms, which make the filing process easier by helping you accurately complete the forms on your computer. Smartforms:

  • can confirm all required questions are answered
  • can be processed more quickly
  • show you only the fields you need to fill out
  • only ask you the questions that are relevant to your application or response

Smartforms cannot be completed when opened in an internet browser (e.g., Chrome, Safari). Please be sure to follow the steps below to ensure that you can open, complete, save and submit your applications or response forms. If you do not follow the below steps, you may experience issues when you attempt to save or submit your applications or response forms to the HRTO.

Please note that application forms cannot be submitted in bulk. If you need to submit more than one application form, please submit your applications in separate emails.

Step 1. How to download and save an Application or Response form

  1. Before starting, ensure you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free. Clicking on the link will redirect you to Adobe’s website.
  2. Right click on the form button and select “Save link as”.
  3. Rename the file using the form name and your name (e.g., Form 1 – [name]). Save the file to your computer.
  4. Open the saved document using Adobe Acrobat Reader from the folder you saved it to. If you did not select a folder, check your ‘Downloads’ folder. Important: Do not open the form in your internet browser (e.g., Chrome, Safari) because some browsers will not allow you to complete and save the form.
Apply with SmartForm
Respond with SmartForm
Respond with SmartForm

Step 2. Completing your Application or Response form

  1. Carefully read the Applicant's Guide or Respondent's Guide for detailed instructions on how to complete the form. You can also find helpful tips about HRTO's application process on the Human Rights Legal Support Centre website.
  2. Complete each field of the form.
  3. When you are finished, click the "Review for Completeness and Save Form" button at the bottom of the form. If a required section is not complete, the SmartForm will prompt you to add the information before you continue. Once you have answered all required questions and are ready to submit, you will be prompted to save a copy of the completed form.

Step 3. Submitting your Application or Response form

Once you have completed your application or response form, you can send the form and documentation required under the Code as specified on the application to the HRTO by email to HRTO.Efile@ontario.ca. For detailed instructions on submitting by email, please refer to the guide Instructions to Submit an HRTO Application or a Response Form Online.

Note: HRTO.Efile@ontario.ca is only to be used for submitting your initial application and required documents noted in the application. Afterwards, all subsequent correspondence and documents must be sent to HRTO.Registrar@ontario.ca.

If you do not have access to email, you can print your Application or Response form and mail or courier it to the HRTO.

Mail should be addressed to:

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
15 Grosvenor Street, Ground Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2G6

Note: If you submit by mail or courier, you will experience processing delays.



All other HRTO forms

All other HRTO forms (excluding the Application and Response forms) are in PDF format (.pdf). If you need a form in print or alternate formats like large print, contact us.

Step 1. How to download and save PDF forms

  1. Before starting, ensure you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free. Clicking on the link will redirect you to Adobe’s website.
  2. Right click on the name of the form and select “Save link as”.
  3. Rename the file using the form name and your name (e.g., Form 10 – [name]). Save the file to a folder on your computer.
  4. Open the saved document using Adobe Acrobat Reader from the folder you saved it to. If you did not select a folder, check your ‘Downloads’ folder. Important: Do not open the form in your internet browser (e.g., Chrome, Safari) because some browsers will not allow you to complete and save the form.

Step 2. Completing your form

  1. Most forms have instructions or important information located on the first page. Read all the instructions before completing the form.
  2. After you have completed all fields on the form, save a copy of the completed form. Ensure the file is named with the correct naming convention (e.g. Form 10 – [name]).

Step 3. Serving your form to other parties and submitting to the HRTO

All forms, except for the SmartForm Application and SmartForm Response forms and required documents noted in the application, must be:

  1. served to the other parties named in the application
  2. filed with the HRTO

If you are serving your forms to the other parties by email, you must copy HRTO.Registrar@ontario.ca. You do not need to complete a Form 23.

If you do not have access to the internet or an email, you must mail or courier a copy of your form to all parties named in the application. Once you have done so, you must send your completed form with a completed Form 23, Statement of Delivery (PDF) to the HRTO.

Mail and couriered documents should be addressed to:

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
15 Grosvenor Street, Ground Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2G6