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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.