Ottawa police warn officers will soon start issuing $110 fines for expired licence plates
Ottawa police are reminding drivers to renew their vehicle licence plate, saying officers will soon begin issuing $110 fines for expired plates.
Even though the Ontario government scrapped the licence plate renewal fees and stickers for passenger vehicles, vehicle owners must still renew their plates every one or two years.
The Ottawa Police Service has five Automatic Licence Plate Recognition vehicles in the fleet, which helps police identify stolen licence plates, misuse of plates, unlicensed drivers and expired licence plate stickers.
"A lot of my officers have come in to me, voicing their concerns that people aren't renewing their plate stickers," Sgt. Robert Cairns told CTV News Ottawa.
"I witnessed this firsthand on Friday, Saturday night of last week when I took the ALPR out and noticed that literally hundreds of people aren't renewing their vehicle stickers."
The Ontario government dropped the fees and stickers back in March, saying the change would save drivers $120 a year. The province said motorists would still need to renew their licence plates.
Drivers can renew their licence plates through Service Ontario online, by mail or in-person. Cairns says the Ontario government included a notice to continue to renew the licence plate in the envelope with the licence plate sticker refunds.
“I suggest they re-read that letter,” he said. “It's very concerning that people, being very blunt, are either very lazy or ignorant as to their requirement to renew their plates.”
In April, an 82-year-old Ottawa woman received a $495 ticket from the MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais police after a friend drove her vehicle to Gatineau with the expired plate. Police said officers validate a licence plate through the system to see if it's expired.
While Cairns says he found "hundreds" of vehicles with expired licence plates, the Ottawa Police Service is not currently issuing fines for expired licence plates.
“I could have had thousands and thousands of dollars in fines the other night,” Cairns said. “There will come a time where (drivers) will start getting stopped by Ottawa police officers and issued a $110 fine for not having their plates renewed.”
"We could actually do it right away, but I'm basically giving people another opportunity now. I'm getting more information out, I'm asking them again that they do have an obligation to renew their plates. If that falls upon deaf ears then we will start enforcing the legislation."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.