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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.