The Ontario Municipal Board hears applications and appeals under various legislation. The filing requirements are established by the legislation.

Appeals to the OMB are generally not the first step in the approval process. For many processes, the first step involves the Municipal planning department.

According to specific legislation, some appeals to the OMB are submitted to municipalities and approval authorities then forwarded to the Board. Other appeals must be submitted to the OMB directly from the person filing the appeal.

The OMB has developed a series of forms to assist you with your appeal.

Recent changes to the Planning Act by the Planning and Conservation Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006 (Bill 51) may affect the OMB appeals process. Applications made to a municipality or approval authority under the Planning Act or by-laws passed or adopted by a municipality on or after January 1, 2007, are subject to these changes.

To reflect these changes, the Board has updated its current forms and created new forms. Please make sure to choose the correct set of forms so that the required information and documents are submitted to the Board in accordance with the requirements of Bill 51.