HAMILTON — The Ontario government is making life easier and more convenient for more than eight million drivers by becoming the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce automatic licence plate renewals. The change takes effect on July 1, 2024 and will save vehicle owners time, amounting to more than 900,000 hours every year.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is making life more affordable and convenient for drivers,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “First, we eliminated licence plate sticker fees for passenger vehicles, saving drivers $120 a year for every car they own. Now, we’re saving drivers valuable time and making their lives easier by automatically renewing licence plates.”
Licence plates for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds will renew automatically 90 days before expiry if the vehicle owner has valid insurance and no outstanding fines or tolls. If a licence plate cannot be renewed automatically, the vehicle owner will be notified and required to manually renew online or in person at ServiceOntario.
“The automatic licence plate renewal program stems from our government’s unwavering commitment to deliver modern, seamless and time-saving services,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. “By utilizing innovative technological solutions to streamline and improve government services, we are saving Ontarians precious time and money.”
Until automatic licence plate renewals take effect, vehicle owners are required to manually renew their plates at no cost. Ontarians can check their licence plate status at ontario.ca/platerenewal.