Parking tickets generally don’t affect Ontario insurance rates. However, if you receive a ticket and choose not to pay it, you may be unable to renew your licence plate.
For this article, our team reviewed Ontario’s licence plate renewal guidance, Toronto’s parking-violation dispute process, and FSRA’s rating-factor guidance.
But what happens if you ignore an unpaid parking ticket, and which tickets are subject to different rules? Find out below.
Read More: See How Demerit Points Work in Ontario
Do Parking Tickets Affect Your Car Insurance Rates?
No. Ordinary municipal parking penalties generally don’t affect Ontario car insurance rates because they aren’t added to your driving record as moving violations.
Most parking tickets are tied to a vehicle or its registered owner. As a result, they won’t affect an insurance premium in the same way that a speeding ticket or other driving conviction may.
Unresolved vehicle fines can block licence plate renewal. Different rules apply to moving violations, private parking invoices and camera-generated fines, so check who issued the notice and the offence listed on it.
Read More: Do Parking Lot Accidents Affect Insurance?
Tips for Preventing Parking Tickets
Parking tickets don’t affect your auto insurance rates, but multiple tickets can add up to high costs.
Pay Attention to Signs
Check the applicable signs before leaving your vehicle, including parking restrictions and maximum time limits.
Set a Reminder
If you use timed parking, set a reminder to return before your parking expires.
Double-Check Your Payment Details
Check your licence plate number, parking zone and payment information before confirming payment through a meter or parking app.
What Type of Ticket Did You Receive?
First, figure out who issued the ticket and what kind of notice it is.
Most municipal parking tickets are vehicle infractions rather than moving violations added to a driver’s record. However, ignoring them can cause problems when your licence plate is due for renewal.
Private parking invoices aren’t the same as municipal parking penalties. Police-issued moving violations and camera-generated vehicle fines also follow different rules.
Municipalities have different timelines for paying or disputing parking tickets. Check the ticket and the municipality’s website for instructions.
Disputes, Deadlines and Unpaid Penalties
For example, the City of Toronto gives you 15 days from the date of the penalty notice to pay or dispute a parking violation. In Toronto, a dispute begins with a screening review, followed by a hearing review if necessary.
Unpaid parking penalties don’t add demerit points to your driving record. However, collection action against an unpaid Toronto parking penalty may include additional fees and denial of licence plate renewal.
Read More: See How Demerit Points Work in Ontario