Ontario drivers with expired license plates are at the risk of paying $1,000 fines

There are more than one million expired licence plates in Ontario because motorists are forgetting to renew them now that they’re free, the Star has learned.

Even though Premier Doug Ford scrapped the annual renewal fee of up to $120 before the 2022 election, vehicle owners still must keep their plates up to date or face Highway Traffic Act fines of as much as $1,000.

But about seven per cent of the 13.6 million plates on Ontario roads have not been renewed by forgetful permit holders — leading to a rise in charges.

As of January, there were exactly 1,015,139 expired plates in the province.

That’s an improvement over the 1,107,098 that were not up to date in December.

A spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria urged motorists to check at ontario.ca/page/renew-your-licence-plate to see if their plates were valid.

“We continue to encourage individuals to renew online at Ontario.ca/Renew if their licence plate is expired or cancelled,” said Dakota Brasier.

Brasier said the government “has made life more affordable and convenient for over eight million vehicle owners by eliminating licence plate renewal fees” and is working toward other ways to make it easier to keep plates validated.

“Also, individuals can sign up for digital reminders to receive their renewal notices by email or text,” she noted.

According to the Ontario Provincial Police, Highway Traffic Act charges have skyrocketed since the paid renewal stickers were phased out two years ago.

 

 

In 2023, there were 15,631 tickets issued to motorists lacking a “currently validated permit for the vehicle,” said the OPP’s Robert Simpson.

That compares with 5,341 charges in 2022 and 1,556 in 2021, though the COVID-19 pandemic that kept Ontarians at home and off the roads could be a factor in those lower numbers.

Removing the renewal charge in 2022, which costs the treasury more than $1 billion annually, has been a signature policy for Ford as his Progressive Conservative government tries to address cost-of-living challenges.

“We’re on a mission to keep costs down,” the premier told 1,000 Tory delegates Feb. 3 at the party’s Niagara Falls policy conference.

“We cut 10.7 cents per litre off the cost of gas. We scrapped the Liberal road tolls and eliminated the licence plate sticker fee,” he said.

Along with the Ministry of Transportation’s digital tools, motorists can also check when their plate expires and renew them in person at ServiceOntario outlets.

All passenger vehicles — including cars, SUVs and vans — under 3,000 kg are covered under the policy and a plate can be renewed for up to two years at a time within six months of its expiry date. Plates for motorcycles and mopeds must also be kept up to date.

 

 

The expiry date is usually the birthday of the vehicle owner.

Validation stickers are still required for heavy commercial vehicles, like large trucks and snowplows.

Damaged, lost or stolen plates cost $59 to replace and that can only be done in person at a ServiceOntario counter. That’s the same charge as for a new plate registration.

Because many motorists still have their old 2022 renewal stickers affixed to their plates, there have been instances of drivers getting tickets out of province because local police think the plates have expired.

The Canadian Automobile Association has recommended motorists keep a printout of proof of renewal in their glovebox even though that is not legally required in Ontario.

When the change was unveiled two years ago, the province said owners could bring their information to any ServiceOntario outlet for a printout free of charge if they need one for travel or employment.

 

 

This article was reported by The Star