ontario licence plate renewal

Confused Ontario drivers receiving big fines for not renewing their licence plates

Heads up! If you were overjoyed to hear that the Ontario government dropped licence plate renewal fees, you should know you can't immediately wipe your hands clean of all responsibilities when it comes to your licence plate. 

Mathias Rousseau, a Brampton resident, found out about this the hard way when he was recently slapped with a $495 ticket in Quebec for not renewing his Ontario licence plate.

It turns out that while all the licence sticker and renewal fees have now been officially lifted and refunds sent in the mail, you still need to actually renew your licence plate to confirm your car insurance is valid and pay any defaulted fees, fines or tolls.

"I didn't know that I had to still go through the process. They could have been more clearer. I thought it was no longer required because there was no longer a fee attached," Rousseau explained to CP24

Rousseau is planning to fight the ticket, his justification being that the Ontario government wasn't clear enough that licence plates still needed to be renewed amidst the recent changes for fees. 

To complicate things further, the province also stopped mailing paper renewal notices to people with expiring drivers' licences, prompting them to sign up for a digital reminder instead. 

Some people in Ontario are just as shocked as Rousseau, claiming the government has failed to properly communicate with its residents and suggesting licence renewal shouldn't be something they should have to worry about each year. 

For those wondering, you can renew your license plate at any Service Ontario location, online or by mail.

Lead photo by

alex_virt


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