OTC Hearing Aids in Canada: B.C., Ontario and Health Canada Licences

Where OTC hearing aids are allowed in Canada

The answer depends on the province. Of the two provinces whose texts we read on November 7, 2026, only one allows sale without a prescription:

• British Columbia says it is the first province or territory in Canada to expand access to over-the-counter hearing aids. Adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss can buy them without a prescription, in stores and online.
• Ontario still requires a prescription from a regulated health professional for every hearing aid. Its government has proposed changes that, if passed, would allow over-the-counter sale.

In both cases, the device itself falls under federal rules: B.C. opens retail and online sale to over-the-counter hearing aids approved by Health Canada, and the licence of each device can be looked up in Health Canada's public database (see below).

British Columbia: buying a hearing aid without a prescription

The B.C. Ministry of Health release of June 17, 2026 sets out the change:

• Who. Adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss.
• What you skip. The quick facts say hearing tests or prescriptions will not be required to buy an over-the-counter hearing aid.
• Where. Health Canada-approved over-the-counter hearing aids are to be sold through retail stores and online sellers.
• What form. The release says they may be stand-alone devices, or applications on a smartphone or smartwatch paired with earbuds or headphones.
• Children. For children and youth, an assessment by an audiologist is required before hearing-aid use.

The province expects the change to help reduce barriers for people without extended health benefits or coverage. The same release recommends an assessment by an audiologist for adults with hearing concerns before using hearing aids.

Who pays in B.C.

Dropping the prescription does not change who can pay. Three public payers in B.C. have written rules of their own.

• Income or disability assistance. The provincial policy lists hearing instruments for a recipient who is eligible for General Health Supplements, among other groups. It pays up to $2,000 per aid, and a new purchase must include one-time replacement coverage, paid at $300 per aid. The purchase must be pre-approved: "payment responsibility will not be accepted for hearing instruments purchased without prior approval".
• A workplace hearing loss. WorkSafeBC's hearing loss page says it may cover the cost of hearing aids once your claim is accepted.
• Veterans. In the Veterans Affairs Canada benefit grid for British Columbia, code 330240 (a digital CIC aid, entry level, right ear, without accessories) carries a negotiated fee of $575.00, needs preauthorization, and has a frequency of 1/4 CY, once per four calendar years.

The provincial policy also requires an assessment by an audiologist or a hearing instrument practitioner registered with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC, who prescribes the instrument. An over-the-counter aid bought on your own, with no assessment and no pre-approval, falls outside that policy as written. If one of these payers may be involved, contact it before you buy.

Ontario: a prescription is still required

Ontario's Ministry of Health announced on October 20, 2026 that it is moving to enable over-the-counter hearing aids. The same release states the rule in force: currently, all hearing aids in Ontario require a prescription from a regulated health professional.

The province's 2026 Fall Economic Statement gives the detail. Under current regulations, companies that make in-ear headphones and earbuds with built-in hearing aid capabilities are not permitted to activate those capabilities in Ontario. The government is proposing changes that, if passed, would allow the sale and use of over-the-counter hearing aids.

The release adds that Ontarians will continue to receive funding assistance for prescribed hearing aids under the Assistive Devices Program (ADP). Our page on OHIP and hearing aids explains what ADP pays and what it leaves to you.

How to check a hearing aid's Health Canada licence

B.C.'s release sends buyers to Health Canada's medical device licence database. A search by maker or by the model printed on the box shows whether the device holds an active licence. Two records show what that looks like for products sold without a prescription:

• Apple. Licence 112369, named HEARING AID FEATURE, is a class 2 licence first issued on 2024-12-11. Its devices include an AirPods Pro firmware module. Apple's hearing test feature has its own licence, 112368, issued the same day.
• Jinghao. Licence 110430, JINGHAO BTE HEARING AID, is held by Huizhou Jinghao Medical Technology and was first issued on 2023-11-20. It lists model JH-D26AT, added on 2025-05-28. In the United States, the FDA's device database lists a Sharper Image hearing aid with that model number as an over-the-counter device.

A licence record shows that Health Canada has licensed the device. It doesn't say whether your province lets a store sell it without a prescription, whether a feature is switched on where you live, or which retailer stocks it. Our Apple hearing aids page covers the AirPods feature in the United States.

Walmart Canada hearing aids: what to check before you buy

On November 7, 2026, Google showed a Walmart.ca category titled "Hearing aid & hearing amplifier". Walmart Canada's terms don't allow automated reading of its site, so we didn't open the listings: this page shows no product, seller or price in Canadian dollars.

The category title groups hearing aids with hearing amplifiers, so a listing in it may be either. Before you pay, check three things:

• The licence. Look up the maker or the model on the box in Health Canada's medical device licence database, as B.C.'s release suggests.
• Your province. In Ontario, hearing aids require a prescription until the proposed changes pass. In B.C., the over-the-counter route covers Health Canada-approved hearing aids.
• The seller. Note who sells and ships the product, and its return terms, before you order.

Walmart's offer in the United States is on our Walmart hearing aids page.