Ontario Police Are Reminding Drivers To Renew Their Licence Plates Or Risk A Hefty Fine

You might want to double-check if your Ontario licence plate has expired because Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are reminding drivers that they could get ticketed.

OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt took to Twitter on July 14 to remind Ontario drivers to renew their licence plates, even though fees and stickers are a thing of the past.

"Have you had a birthday recently? Did you get some birthday cards in the mail? Well, one thing that you no longer get in the mail is that renewal notice from the Ministry of Transportation to renew your VAL tag for your passenger vehicle, light commercial truck, motorcycle or moped," Schmidt said in the video.

"Officers across the province are seeing many more vehicles now without proper registration. You could get ticketed for that," Schmidt said.

As of March 13, Ontario's licence plate stickers were officially scrapped for most vehicles, excluding heavy commercial vehicles and snowmobiles.

Anyone caught driving around without an up-to-date permit can get hit with a ticket, and under the Highway Traffic Act, the fine could be between $60 to $1,000.

"It usually expires on your birthday, and beyond that, it is up to you to renew your validation. So, you no longer need to have those stickers on your licence plate but you need to have it renewed through the Ministry," Schmidt said.

If you're unsure how to renew your licence plate, there are three ways to do it: you can either submit your application online, send it in through the mail, or stop by and visit a ServiceOntario location.

To renew your licence plate, you will need your plate and vehicle permit number, your insurance company name and policy number, your odometer reading, and to pay all outstanding fines or toll fees.

For those who miss getting their reminders in the mail, Ontario drivers can still sign up for a digital one through ServiceOntario. From there, they will either shoot you a text, send you an email, or call you on the phone 30 and 60 days before it's time to renew again.

This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.