Premier Doug Ford has announced that Ontario drivers will soon be relieved of the obligation to annually renew their license plate registrations, as the province moves towards automating this process.
Ford made this declaration during a press conference held in Toronto on Tuesday morning, stating that the province is eliminating the need for drivers to undergo the re-registration process entirely. This initiative follows the previous elimination of license plate stickers, with Ford emphasizing that vehicle registration will now be automatically renewed, alleviating concerns for motorists.
The announcement follows a report by the Toronto Star revealing over one million expired license plates in Ontario, attributed to motorists forgetting to renew their registration amidst the fee waiver. In 2022, the Ford government abolished all fees associated with annual license plate registration, effective March 13, 2022, thereby eliminating the previous costs of $60 for northern Ontario and $120 for southern Ontario.
However, the move led to a significant number of unregistered license plates across the province, as confirmed by the Ontario Provincial Police in December. Currently, drivers are mandated to renew their plates annually on their birthday, with failure to do so risking a $500 fine under the Highway Traffic Act.
While specific details regarding the official implementation of the registration elimination were not provided, Ford assured that it would occur “extremely soon” and would be legislated upon the return to session. The premier’s office confirmed that the license plate renewal changes will be incorporated into a broader bill, which includes a provision mandating a referendum for any future provincial carbon pricing plan.
