Liability Insurance

Mandatory for All Members

Liability insurance is mandatory for all College members — temporary and general — who practise dietetics as defined in College's Definition of Practising Dietetics. 

If you are practising dietetics in any capacity, you must have insurance.  This requirement applies even if you are:

1. Practising outside of Ontario or Canada
2. Not working directly with patients
3. Completing dietetics-related graduate work
4. Doing volunteer work

You are not required to hold liability insurance if:

1. You work outside of dietetics and are not practising dietetics (see Definition of Practising Dietetics);
2. Your are not working:  unemployed or on a leave, e.g.  maternity or sick leave.

Coverage Required

Section 15.1, Professional Liability Insurance Coverage Requirements within College By-Law No. 1: General, stipulates the minimum insurance coverage and deductible required as follows:

A member engaging in the practice of dietetics must maintain professional liability insurance coverage with the following characteristics:

Under the Registration Regulation, the College has authority to suspend members who do not carry liability insurance while practising or who do not provide proof of their liability insurance coverage when asked to do so by the College.

College members who are not practising (e.g., unemployed or on leave), or who are not practising dietetics do not need liability insurance. 

It is important to double check to confirm that you are adequately covered

How to obtain liability insurance

Members are free to explore coverage options as long as the insurance coverage meets the requirements stated in section 15.1 of College By-Law No. 1: General.

You can obtain liability insurance through one of the following:

• Your employer’s insurance.  If you have one or more employers and you rely on employer coverage for liability insurance, check that your are covered by all of your employers. In a random selection for proof of professional liability insurance, the College would need proof of the following coverage from all employers, if you have more than one:
  1. The insurance meets the requirements set out in section 15.1 of College By-Law No. 1: General.
  2. If the deductible is greater than $1,000, your employer must confirm in writing that they will cover any amount over $1,000.
  3. You are personally covered (either your name appears on the insurance certificate or the certificate lists a category of employees, e.g. “All employees of XYZ company” or “Registered Dietitian”)
  4. Your employer will be able to provide you with documentation confirming your insurance coverage within a reasonable timeframe if the College requests for you to provide proof of your insurance coverage.
• Dietitians of Canada  (DC) offers liability insurance for its members. The DC insurance meets the College By-Law requirements. Contact DC for more information. If you are outside of Canada, consult with Prolink (DC’s insurance provider) to confirm whether they cover dietetic practice in the country where you are practising. 


• A private insurance company. Dietitians have reported purchasing professional liability insurance through a number of insurance companies. To explore your options, search online for “Ontario dietitian professional liability insurance”.

Important Note:
These are Canadian insurance companies. If you are located outside of Canada, you must ensure that the insurance will cover dietetic practice where you are located. You must also ensure that you account for currency exchange. The minimum coverage in section 15.1 of College By-Law No. 1: General is in Canadian dollars.

For any questions, please email: liabilityinsurance@collegeofdietitians.org