Ontario driver warns people about licence plate renewal rule after receiving hefty fine
An Ontario driver who got a $495 ticket is warning people about a rule he says he didn’t know still existed after the province dropped licence plate renewal fees.
Mathias Rousseau, who lives in Brampton, Ont., says he received a $489 ticket while driving in Gatineau, Que., with an expired licence plate in April. He said that when the province dropped the fees and sticker requirement, he assumed renewal was also no longer needed.
“I didn't know that I had to still go through the process,” Rousseau said. “They could have been more clearer. I thought it was no longer required because there was no longer a fee attached.”
“We probably could have been informed a little bit better on this.”
The province dropped the fees and stickers back in March, saying the change would save Ontario drivers about $120 a year. The government clarified at the time that while the province would be dropping the fees, residents would still need to renew their plates.
“It is the law for vehicle owners to renew their licence plate every one or two years at no cost to confirm their automobile insurance is valid and pay any defaulted fees, fines or tolls,” a spokesperson from the Ministry of Transportation said in an email to CTV News Toronto on Wednesday.
“Expired licence plates will remain subject to enforcement action.”
Rousseau said he plans to fight the ticket he received because he feels the government left residents confused about whether or not they needed to renew their licence plates with the new changes.
The province recently stopped mailing paper renewal notices to people with expiring driver's licences, licence plates and health cards, saying that people who wanted to be reminded needed to sign up for a digital reminder.
The spokesperson for the ministry stressed that drivers in Ontario still need to renew their plates, adding they have the option to apply for a one or two-year renewal. There is no cost to renew.
Ontario drivers can renew their licence plate at a ServiceOntario location, online or by mail.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.