Ontario drivers could be fined up to $2,500 for missing this little-known licence plate rule

If you're driving around Ontario assuming your licence plate renewal takes care of itself, you might want to double-check — especially if you own something like a truck, snowmobile or older vehicle.

You may already be aware that back in July 2024, Ontario made a major change to how licence plate renewals work.

For millions of drivers, the process became automatic — no more licence plate stickers, no ServiceOntario visits and no annual fees.

It's saved people time, money and a whole lot of hassle.

But here's the catch: not all Ontario drivers are eligible for automatic plate renewal.

If you fall under one of the many exceptions to the rule and forget to renew manually, you could be hit with fines of up to $2,500 under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act.

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To qualify for automatic renewal in Ontario, your vehicle has to be either a passenger car, motorcycle, moped or light commercial vehicle under 3,000 kilograms.

You also need valid insurance and a clean slate — no unpaid fines, tolls or penalties.

If all of that checks out, your plate renews quietly in the background 90 days before its expiry date. The province won't contact you to let you know it has been renewed, and you won't receive a sticker or any other notice.

But here's what a lot of people don't realize: commercial and business vehicles, motorhomes, buses, snowmobiles and all vehicles made before 1983 are not part of the automatic renewal program.

That means the usual hands-on renewal steps still apply, and you'll need to do it online or in person at a ServiceOntario office.

Not only that, but you're also out of luck if you've got any unpaid parking tickets, tolls or insurance issues — even if your car would otherwise be eligible for automatic renewal.

According to the province, any of these red flags will bump you out of the automatic renewal system, even if you drive a regular car.

The good news is that if your plate can't renew automatically, you won't be left totally in the dark. ServiceOntario says it sends out reminders 90, 45 and 10 days before your plate expires — by text, email or phone, depending on what you've signed up for.

If you haven't gone digital, you'll get a letter in the mail instead.

Once your plate expires, you'll get a final notice 72 hours later. After that, it's on you to sort things out. That means paying off anything you owe, fixing any insurance issues and manually renewing your plate before heading back on the road.

Missing your renewal could land you a fine starting at $125 for a personal vehicle or $400 for a commercial one.

But depending on your driving history and the type of vehicle, that fine can climb as high as $1,000 for personal vehicles, or even $2,500 if you're driving a commercial vehicle with expired plates, under the Highway Traffic Act.

If you're not sure where you stand, the Ontario government recommends checking your plate status online. It's fast, free and could save you a lot of money. For vehicles heavier than 3,000 kilograms, you'll need to visit ServiceOntario in person.

So while it's tempting to forget about licence plate renewals altogether, it's worth making sure you're not one of the exceptions. The cost of not knowing could be steep.

Is your vehicle eligible for automatic plate renewal?

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