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How many days do I have to respond once I receive a Offence Notice (ticket)? |
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You have 15 calendar days to respond to an Offence Notice (ticket). Please read and follow the instructions provided on the back of the green Offence Notice (ticket). Within 15 days of receipt of the Offence Notice (ticket), you must choose one of the following options:
- Plead guilty - voluntary payment of the total payabe out of court. Payments can be made by internet, by mail, or in person at any POA court location.
- Request a meeting with the prosecutor to discuss the possible resolution of the charge. Requests can be made by mail or in person at the court location noted on the Offence Notice (ticket).
- Request a trial. Requests must be made in person at the court location noted on the Offence Notice (ticket).
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What happens if I don't pay my fine in full? |
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Failure to pay your fine in full could result in a conviction being entered against you. Upon conviction you will be required to pay the set fine including court costs and the applicable victim fine surcharge by the due date. Failure to pay the fine imposed upon conviction by the due date will result in one or more of the following:
- Refusal by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to issue validation of your vehicle permit
- Refusal by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to issue a vehicle permit
- Driver's licence suspension
- An additional administrative fee
- The defaulted fine information is provided to a credit bureau.
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What if I need more time to pay a provincial offence fine? |
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If fewer than 15 calendar days have passed from the receipt of the Offence Notice (ticket), you may request a meeting with the prosecutor to discuss entering a guilty plea and establishing an extended time to pay.
If you have been convicted, visit the court office noted on the top of your Notice of Fine and Due date. You will be asked to fill out a Motion for Extension of Time to Pay Fine (PDF) form. This form will require you to fill in all of the information regarding your Offence Notice (ticket) including how much you have paid so far and a specific date that you would like it extended to, etc. You may or may not be required to see a Justice of the Peace to give a verbal explanation. |
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Why are there two amounts on my Offence Notice (ticket)? |
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One amount is the set fine and the second is the total payable. The total payable consists of the set fine, court costs and the Victim Fine Surcharge.
The set fine is ordered by the Chief Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice as an amount payable by the defendant in lieu of attending court to contest the charge.
Court costs are an amount to be paid by the defendant for the service of the offence notice and/or summons and upon conviction of an offence. The costs are authorized by Section 60 of the Provincial Offences Act and the amount is set by regulation.
Section 8 of the Provincial Offences Act provides that payment of an offence notice (ticket) constitutes a plea of guilty and results in a conviction being registered.
The Victim Fine Surcharge is imposed by the Provincial Government and is added to every fine imposed under the Provincial Offences Act, other than parking fines. The amount of the Victim Fine Surcharge is variable, and is based on the amount of the set fine. Proceeds from the surcharge are used to maintain and expand provincial services to victims of crime. |
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I have an inquiry about a Parking ticket/tag. Who do I contact? |
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Payments and trial requests on Parking Ticket/tag matters are processed through Parking Tag Operations. For more information call 416-397-8247 or e-mail parkingtags@toronto.ca.
Re-openings and requests for extension on parking matters can be done at any Provincial Offences Court Office, but you must have a screen print of the infraction available from one of the parking tag offices, or a Notice of Fine and Due Date.
Note: If the parking ticket was issued before 1995, please call our call centre at 416 338-7320 for assistance.
Note: Parking tickets from GO Transit property must be paid to GO Transit. |
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What do I do if I can't attend a court date? |
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To change a Trial Date you have 3 options:
- Where you received an Offence Notice (ticket) and asked for a court date AND are seeking to change the first trial date given on the Notice of Trial issued by the Clerk of the Court you can:
- attend the court office and request the Clerk of the Court (counter staff) to provide you with a Request for Adjournment of First Trial Date Form.
- you will have to take the completed form to prosecutor's office and obtain their written consent before the clerk can assign a new date.
- return to the Clerk of the Court (counter staff) with the signed form and ask that they approve the new court date.
This may be accomplished by visiting the court office where your Offence Notice (ticket) is filed at either the 1530 Markham Road, 2700 Eglinton Avenue West or 137 Edward Street.
For Offence Notices (tickets) filed with the 137 Edward Street court office you must also attend Old City Hall at 60 Queen Street West to obtain the consent of the prosecutor if the ticket is prosecuted by the City prosecutor.
If the charge is prosecuted by another agency, the clerk of the court will advise on which prosecutors' office is involved and where you will have to go to complete the form.
This option is not available where you received a Summons to appear at court or where charges results from a collision or where you have already appeared at court on the charge.
- Where the first option does not apply you must attend the court office where the trial is being held at least five (5) business days in advance of the scheduled trial and file a Notice of Motion requesting a different trial date. This will also require you to return to court to have this Motion heard by a Justice of the Peace.
- You or your representative can attend the trial date that has been set and request the presiding Justice of the Peace change the trial date. The Justice of the Peace may or may not approve your request depending on the reasons you provided.
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What are the different types of Notices for Provincial Offences? |
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There are several different types of Notices:
- Part I - an Offence Notice (ticket) that is issued to an individual or a Red Light Camera System Offence Notice that is mailed to the registered owner of a vehicle plate attached to a vehicle alleged to have failed to stop at a red light.
- Part II - a Parking Infraction Notice (parking tag/parking ticket)
- Part III - a summons to appear at court (including a court date)
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Who can issue Provincial Offence Notices (tickets)? |
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There are many enforcement agencies in Toronto who can issue you an Offence Notice (ticket), including but not limited to:
- City By-law Enforcement (Toronto Public Health, Municipal and Licensing and Standards officers)
- Toronto Fire Services
- Toronto Police Service
- Ontario Provincial Police
- Ministry of Transportation
- Ministry of Environment
- Ministry of Labour
- Ministry of Natural Resources
- Ministry of Health
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
- Go Transit
- Toronto Transit Commission (T.T.C.)
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What is the Offence Notice (ticket) process? |
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After being served an Offence Notice (ticket) the defendant then has three options:
- Pay the fine - a conviction is registered
- Request by mail or in person a meeting with the prosecutor to discuss a possible resolution to the charge
- Attend the court office in person to file a request for trial (must complete a Notice of Intention to Appear).
Note: If you do not exercise one of the above options within 15 days, or if you do not attend your meeting with the prosecutor, or after meeting with the prosecutor, you do not appear before a Justice, or if you do not appear for your trial, a Justice of the Peace will review your case and may enter a conviction in your absence. |
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How do I make a formal complaint? |
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Visit the contact us section for information on how to make a formal complaint. |
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What do Provincial Offences Courts do? |
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- accept payment of Provincial Offence fines (except parking fines)
- schedule and supports Provincial Offence early resolution meetings and trials
- provide intake court services (e.g. re-opening applications, extension of time to pay, etc.)
- provide information on the filing of appeals
- receiving and processing transcript orders of the official court proceedings
- manage the filing of Provincial Offences Act matters including appeals
- provide information for general inquiries about Provincial Offences via mail and e-mail, telephone, in person
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What are provincial offences? |
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Offences that include, but are not limited to:
- speeding, careless driving, or not wearing your seat belt - Highway Traffic Act
- failing to surrender your insurance card or possessing a false or invalid insurance card - Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act
- being intoxicated in a public place or selling alcohol to a minor - Liquor Licence Act
- entering prohibited premises or failing to leave premises after being directed to do so - Trespass to Property Act
- Occupational Health and Safety and Ministry of Environment violations
- noise, taxi and animal care by-laws - City by-laws
- Enquiries related to Criminal and Youth Justice Act matters should be directed to the Ministry of the Attorney General
- Parking offences
Most Provincial Offence charges result in out-of-court fine payments. Residents who are issued an Offence Notice (ticket) under the Provincial Offences Act should read it carefully for a complete list of their payment, early resolution and trial options. |
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As a vendor, where do I send my invoice for payment? |
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Please send all your invoices for payment to:
City of Toronto Finance Department
Accounts Payable
Accounting Services Division
55 John Street
14th floor, Metro Hall
Toronto, ON M5V 3C6 |
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What is a reopening and how is it processed? |
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A reopening is a process for people to follow if they feel they have been convicted of a Part I (minor offence matter) or Part II (parking matter) through no fault of their own. A reopening must be requested within 15 days of becoming aware of the conviction.
To request a reopening, you must complete an Affidavit in Support of a Request for Re-opening (PDF) form identifying the reason for the request. This form must be sworn or affirmed and delivered to the appropriate court office. Swearing or affirming an affidavit can be done at the court office.
At the court office, the affidavit will be placed before a Justice of the Peace. You may, if you choose, appear before the Justice of the Peace with your sworn or affirned affidavit to present your reason for the request in person. Depending upon the number of people requesting to present their application in person, the Justice of the Peace may or may not be available the same day.
If the Justice of the Peace is satisfied that the person was convicted through no fault of their own, he or she will strike out the conviction and order either an Early Resolution meeting with the prosecutor or a trial to be scheduled.
The status of a reopening request can be checked by contacting poacourts@toronto.ca or calling 416-338-7320 |
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What do I do if I have wrongly been accused of an offence because someone has fraudulently used my name? |
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A "personation" is a matter wherein a person fraudulently identifies themself as someone else.
If you believe that your name has been used falsely in a traffic violation, you must:
- Attend the court location that dealt with the Offence Notice(s) (ticket(s));
- Obtain a copy of the Offence Notice(s) (ticket(s));
- Obtain a copy of the ICON printout in relations to the Offence Notice(s) (ticket(s)) in question;
- Swear to a 'General Affidavit' before a Justice of the Peace outlining your claim of personation;
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- Contact the personation investigators at the contact information noted below in order to make an appointment:
Detective Constable on Duty
Toronto Police Service, Traffic Services
Personations Unit
9 Hanna Avenue
Toronto, ON M6K 1W8
Tel: 416-808-1931
Fax: 416-808-1902
- Please obtain contact information/business card of the officer with whom you filed your claim.
The Toronto Police Services, Personation Unit will only investigate personation complaints involving traffic violations and only those personation complaints that arise from charges commenced by the Toronto Police Service.
For claims of personation involving other offences (other than traffic violations) please contact the investigating officer of the enforcement agency who laid the charge(s). Improperly registered vehicles should be reported to the closest police division.
It is a criminal offence to swear to an affidavit when you have knowingly provided false information within that affidavit.
It is a criminal offence to cause a peace officer to enter into an investigation when you have knowingly provided false information which causes the investigation to occur. |
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What happens to the fine I paid if my appeal is successful? |
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- If you paid the fine and as a result of your appeal hearing today, the fine amount was reduced, please note the following:
- Once the appeal court office has informed the City of Toronto of the appeal court decision, the City will provide you with a refund. This amount will equal the difference between what you previously paid less the varied fine and any court costs that apply, including the victim fine surcharge
- If your case was referred to the Collection Agency prior to the appeal the collection agency cost is not refundable
- If you paid the fine and as a result of your appeal hearing today, you were acquitted, please note the following:
- The City of Toronto will provide you with a full refund
- If you do not receive your refund 120 days after your request, please contact the City of Toronto at 416-338-7320 or by e-mail at poacourt@toronto.ca
- If you paid the fine and as a result of your appeal hearing today, the fine amount stays the same, please note the following:
- You will not receive a refund and monies will be applied to the amount owing.
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What do I do if I can't attend an Early Resolution meeting? |
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You may deliver to the court office indicated on your Early Resolution Meeting Notice a written request to reschedule the time for your meeting. The court office must receive this request at least 2 (two) working days before the original scheduled time of your meeting. You will receive a new meeting time, to take place within 30 days of the time scheduled on your original notice.
You are entitled to reschedule your meeting only once. |
