Earlier this year, the Ontario government announced that eight million drivers will receive refunds for their license plate stickers, meaning drivers no longer have to pay $120 a year to register their vehicle. However, some drivers may not be aware that they need to renew their plates to avoid using an unregistered vehicle and being fined. Mary Blackmore of Brampton, Ont. said her son, Grant Fall, who works in Alberta, recently received two tickets in the mail. The tickets, received on July 8 and 9, respectively, were for driving with unregistered plates. “Police in Alberta should have targeted Ontario drivers. I mean two tickets in less than 24 hours for not registering. I mean come on,” Blackmore told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday. With late fees, the two tickets came to $388 each, meaning her son must pay $776 in fines. “So much for getting the sticker refund back and saying, ‘Should’ve known?’ No, that’s something the Ontario government has failed to tell the people of Ontario,” he said. Earlier this year, Gail Salmon of Ottawa was fined by police in Quebec for having expired plates. Examples like these may explain why, in recent weeks, there have been calls for digital signage across the great Ont. highways reminding drivers to register their license plates. Registering your signs is easy and free. Drivers can go to the Service Ontario website to renew them online. They can also sign up for digital reminders to renew their Ontario driver’s license, health card and photo card. Those who choose not to go online to renew can do so at a physical location of the service in Ontario. The province no longer mails out renewal notices, and Blackmore believes more should have been done to inform drivers. “They were all out there with their chests puffing out when they were giving out sticker discounts, but this registration issue was never brought up,” he said. In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Dakota Brasier, senior communications advisor and press secretary to Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, said: “The Ontario government is reducing costs for over 8 million drivers by eliminating license plate renewal fees and putting money direct. back into the pockets of hard-working Ontarians.” “The government has notified our enforcement and jurisdictional partners of the changes to Ontario’s license plate sticker program, and while we have eliminated the cost of this renewal process, vehicle owners are still required to renew their license plate before their birthday for a or two-year term”. The government says drivers should renew their number plates to make sure their car insurance is still valid and to make sure outstanding 407 tolls and other fines have been paid.
