Alcotest 6000 Added to Approved Screening Devices

Summary#

The federal government is proposing to replace the existing Approved Screening Devices Order and to add the Alcotest 6000 to the list of breath-screening devices police can use. This is a proposal open for public comment for 30 days after publication (February 17, 2024) and is not law yet.

What it does#

• Replaces the old order (SI/85-200) with an updated version that uses modern wording and current references to the Criminal Code (reflecting changes from Bill C-46).
• Adds the Alcotest 6000 to the list of approved screening devices used to check for alcohol at the roadside.
• Keeps the existing list of 12 approved devices and adds the new device alongside them.
• Notes that screening devices must be approved by the Attorney General of Canada after technical review by the Alcohol Test Committee (ATC).
• Says the new Order would come into force on the day it is registered (no fixed registration date given).
• Invites public input: interested people may comment within 30 days of the Canada Gazette notice.

Who's affected#

• Police and other law enforcement agencies that conduct roadside alcohol screening. They would be the ones to decide whether to buy and use the Alcotest 6000.
• Provincial and territorial governments and police services that budget for and manage screening equipment and training.
• Members of the public who may be stopped for roadside alcohol screening — the set of approved devices that can be used would expand by one.
• Forensic and technical experts who evaluate breath-testing equipment (the ATC was involved in the review).

If it is unclear who will buy or deploy the device, the Order does not force any agency to purchase it.

Why it matters#

• Adding the Alcotest 6000 would allow police across Canada to use that specific model during impaired-driving checks, if their agencies choose to buy it.
• Police agencies that adopt it may face equipment and training costs. The proposal notes those costs would fall on the agencies that decide to purchase the device.
• Updating the Order modernizes the legal text and aligns it with recent Criminal Code changes, which clarifies the statutory basis for approved screening devices.
• This is a proposal (not yet final). Public comments during the 30-day period can influence the final wording before the Order is registered and comes into force.