Ontario Police Are Ticketing Expired Plate Stickers Even Though Ford Says It's Okay

It looks like Doug Ford and the police had different ideas on what warranted a ticket. The OPP has admitted that some of their officers have been ticketing drivers with expired Ontario licence plate stickers. The move comes after Doug Ford stated that plates did not need to be renewed during the pandemic. 

The provincial government assured residents back in March that stickers that expired on or after March 1 would remain valid until further notice.

The move was made in an effort to keep in-person visits to Service Ontario offices to a minimum.

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However, it seems that this announcement didn't make it to the ears of some officers and multiple drivers were fined $110 for expired plates. 

CTV reported that police officers from Hamilton, York Region, and the OPP have all claimed to have mistakenly handed out tickets.

In fact, it was reported that York Regional Police issued 58 wrongful fines on this issue. 

Now, those wrongly ticketed might still need to dispute it in court.

However, refunds are being offered to those who have already paid off their unjustified fines.

In an email to Narcity, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt stated that they have now reminded officers of these extensions to avoid mistakes in the future. 

“I am aware of charges that were laid incorrectly against drivers that were driving a vehicle that had expired plates but was within the validity extension allowed by the MTO," he stated. 

"We have sent out communications to officers to remind them of this extension and have worked with the courts to have these charges withdrawn.”

However, it is important to note that if your licence plate sticker expired before March 1, you can still get a fine.