Property and Environment

There are four local municipalities in Haliburton County. Not sure which one you're located in? Use the following tools to confirm:

1. Check your property tax bill: Property taxes are administered by the local municipality. Your tax bill will list the municipality's name and contact information on it. 
   
   
2. Check the roll number: All property assessment roll numbers start with '46', which is the code for Haliburton County. The following two numbers will identify the local municipality. If you have a copy of your MPAC assessment, or are looking at a real estate listing that includes the full roll number (or "ARN"), the following information can help you determine which municipality the property is located in:
   1. 46-01 identifies the Municipality of Highlands East
   2. 46-16 identifies the Township of Minden Hills
   3. 46-21 identifies the Township of Algonquin Highlands
   4. 46-24 identifies the Municipality of Dysart et al
3. Check the legal description: If you have a copy of a survey or a deed, they will usually reference a 'township.' These townships (also called 'geographic townships') were amalgamated in the early 2000s into the local municipalities we have today. The following is a list of the 'geographic townships' that make up our local municipalities:
   1. Algonquin Highlands: The geographic townships of Sherborne, McClintock, Livingstone, Lawrence, Nightingale and Stanhope.
   2. Dysart et al: The geographic townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde.
   3. Minden Hills: The geographic townships of Anson, Hindon, Minden, Lutterworth and Snowdon.
   4. Highlands East: The geographic townships of Cardiff, Monmouth, Glamorgan, and the former Improvement District of Bicroft.

Addresses in Haliburton County are managed and assigned by the County of Haliburton Public Works Department. These addresses are called 'civic addresses' or '911 addresses' interchangeably. 

Important: These addresses are assigned primarily for emergency services purposes, so even if you don't intend to live permanently at your property, it is important to be assigned an address so that fire departments, paramedics, or police officers can find you in an emergency. 

For information on addressing, including how to be assigned an address or to order a new addressing sign, please visit our Addressing Page.

Most structures and almost all buildings require a building permit under the Ontario Building Code. The Building Code is administered by qualified building officials. 

Building Departments are the responsibility of local municipalities in Haliburton County. It is recommended that you reach out to your local Building Department prior to constructing any structures or buildings on your property. 

Local Building Department Links:

• Township of Algonquin Highlands Building Department
• Municipality of Dysart et al Building Department
• Municipality of Highlands East Building Department
• Township of Minden Hills Building Department

The County of Haliburton is responsible for enforcing the following by-laws:

• The Forestry By-law
• The Shoreline Tree Preservation By-law (In the Municipality of Dysart et al only)
• The Shoreline Preservation By-law (In Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East, and Minden Hills)

Concerns should be reported through the website links above.

Local municipalities are responsible for enforcing other by-law such as noise, property standards/clean-and-clear, canine control, short-term rental licensing, fireworks, parking and other municipal by-laws. 

Please reach out to your local municipality if you have questions or wish to report a by-law related concern:

• Township of Algonquin Highlands By-law Enforcement
• Municipality of Dysart et al By-law Enforcement
• Municipality of Highlands East By-law Enforcement
• Township of Minden Hills By-law Enforcement

Roads and highways in Haliburton County can be classified in one of four ways:

1. Private Roads: Roads that are not maintained by the Province, County or a local municipality, and are located on private property.
2. Municipal Roads: Roads that are maintained by a local municipality.
3. County Roads: Roads that are maintained by the County of Haliburton.
4. Provincial Highways: Roads that are maintained by the Ministry of Transportation.

All municipal, county and provincial roads/highways require permits for access. These permits are called 'entrance permits' and are required before you put in a driveway. You can get your entrance permits at the following locations:

1. County of Haliburton: You can learn about and apply for entrance permits here on our website.
2. Provincial Highway: You can apply for an entrance permit for a highway here. 
3. Local Municipality: Learn about entrance permits for your local municipality:
   1. Township of Algonquin Highlands: here
   2. Municipality of Dysart et al: here
   3. Municipality of Highlands East: here
   4. Township of Minden Hills: here

Land information (surveys, deeds, ownership parcel registers and other 'instruments') are filed in the Ontario Land Registry Offices. In 2022, physical land registry offices in Ontario were closed, including the office that served Haliburton County. 

Local municipalities and the County do not maintain comprehensive land registration information for public review. If you are looking for legal information for your property, all land registry information is now online on a website called OnLand. There are fees associated with viewing documents through this service, and you require a credit card to purchase documents. 

Tip: When searching in Onland.ca, make sure you use 'Registry Office 19', which is the Registry Office for all documents in Haliburton County. 

All land in Haliburton County is regulated by local zoning by-laws. Local zoning by-laws provide information on how a piece of land can be used and what can be built on it.

Each local municipality maintains its own comprehensive zoning by-law. If you have questions about what you can build on a property, please contact your local municipality's planning department:

• Township of Algonquin Highlands Planning Department
• Municipality of Dysart et al Planning Department
• Municipality of Highlands East Planning Department
• Township of Minden Hills Planning Department

In the case of an emergency, no matter where you are in Haliburton County, you can dial 9-1-1.

For more information on emergency and health services in Haliburton County, please visit our Emergency and Health Services page. 

Outside of the Town of Minden and the Hamlet of Cardiff, most drinking water sources are from private wells. The Lakelands Public Health Unit provides information on well water safety on their website.

If you take your water from a lake or river, you must treat this water before drinking, and be cognizant of potential harmful algae blooms. Learn more on our Shorelines and Lakes page.

If you are in an area with municipal drinking water sources, you may be interested in information on Source Water Protection, a program that protects your municipal drinking water source from contamination. 

The County of Haliburton Information Technology Department has compiled a resource on internet providers here.

To learn more about Haliburton County's efforts to address the climate crisis, please visit our Climate Change page. 

For information on the County's Shoreline Preservation By-law and information on protecting your shoreline, please visit our Shorelines and Lakes page.