Ontario Eliminates Manual License Plate RenewalsOntario Eliminates Manual License Plate Renewals Ontario drivers will no longer have to manually renew their license plates as of Canada Day. This measure, part of the Get It Done Act, streamlines the renewal process by automating it. Previously, drivers were required to renew their plates online or in person, paying an annual fee of $120. In 2022, the Ford government abolished both license plate stickers and the associated fees. Despite the elimination of fees, over 1 million expired license plates remained in the province, highlighting the need for an automated system. The government estimates that automatic renewals will save Ontario’s 8 million drivers approximately 900,000 hours annually. The automatic renewal process applies to passenger cars, light trucks, motorcycles, and mopeds. Vehicles with valid insurance and no outstanding fines or tolls will have their plates renewed 90 days before expiry. If automatic renewal is not possible, vehicle owners will be notified and must manually renew online or at a ServiceOntario location. The new process goes into effect on July 1st, and expired plates will need to be manually renewed before then.
Ontario drivers in good standing won’t have to worry about renewing their license plates come Canada Day.
The measure, previously announced as part of the omnibus bill called the Get It Done Act, eliminates the requirement for drivers to manually renew their plates online or in person at a ServiceOntario location.
The Ford government previously eliminated license plate stickers and the fees associated with renewing them in 2022. Previously, drivers paid $120 to renew the plates for each car they owned.
Despite the abolition of the fees, the Department of Transportation reported earlier this year that there were as many as 1,015,139 expired license plates in the province. This underlines the need for an automatic system.
The government said it is the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce automatic license plate renewals and estimates the measure will save Ontario’s eight million drivers 900,000 hours a year.
“Under Prime Minister Ford’s leadership, our government is making life more affordable and convenient for drivers,” Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said in a press release issued Wednesday. “Now, we’re saving drivers valuable time and making their lives easier by automatically renewing license plates.”
The automatic renewal process applies to all passenger cars, light trucks, motorcycles and mopeds. License plates for these vehicles, assuming the owner has valid insurance and no outstanding fines or tolls, will be automatically renewed 90 days prior to their expiration date.
If a driver’s license cannot be automatically renewed, the province says the vehicle owner will be notified via email, text, voicemail or mail and asked to manually renew online or in person at a ServiceOntario location.
The new process won’t go into effect until July 1, so vehicle owners with expired plates will need to manually renew them before then. Drivers can check the status of their plates here.
