There are more than one million vehicles with expired licence plates in Ontario. If you own one of them, you could be slapped with a $1,000 fine if you’re pulled over by police.
Premier Doug Ford may have axed the annual renewal fee of up to $120 in 2022, but vehicle owners are still expected to keep their plates current or face fines of up to $1,000.
According to a Toronto Star report, approximately 7 percent of the 13.6 million plates on Ontario vehicles have not been renewed and charges under the Highway Traffic Act are on the rise.
As of January, there were 1,015,139 expired plates in the province, according to the report, which is an improvement on the 1,107,098 that were out of date the month prior.
Highway Traffic Act charges have shot up significantly since the province phased out paid renewal stickers two years ago. The Ontario Provincial Police told the Star 15,631 tickets were issued in 2023 to motorists without a “currently validated permit”—a notable increase over the 5,341 charges in 2022 and 1,556 in 2021.
Sergeant Kerry Schmidt of the OPP Highway Safety Division said Ontarians no longer receive annual renewal notices in the mail from the province’s Ministry of Transportation.
“It may not cost anything, but you are still required to go online and renew your registration,” Sgt. Schmidt said in a 2022 video posted on social media.
If remembering details like renewal times isn’t your strong suit, you can opt for digital reminders on the Service Ontario website. You can choose to have reminders sent via email, text message, or phone call, 60 and 30 days before the expiration date.
Only drivers of passenger vehicles, light commercial trucks, motorcycles, and mopeds are exempt from the renewal fees. Owners of heavy commercial vehicles—those weighing more than 3,000 kilograms—and snowmobiles must still pay for licence plate stickers every one or two years
Drivers must now visit the provincial government’s website or visit a Service Ontario office to re-register their licence plates before they expire, which is usually during their birthday month. To renew, drivers must have their licence plate number, vehicle permit, and insurance policy number, as well as their vehicle odometer reading.
The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) recommends drivers keep a printout of proof of renewal in their glove box even though it is not a legal requirement in Ontario. It can come in handy, however, when driving out of province where the local police are not familiar with Ontario laws.
