It’s a necessary evil for anyone who wants to drive without getting a fine: you have to renew your license plate sticker in Ontario every year.
Why, though?
You might be asking this question just like many other Canadians who feel it’s an unnecessary additional expense to driving on top of car insurance. But the reality is, the Ministry of Transportation uses those funds to keep our roads in good condition and safe for us all. Nobody wants to pay $120 every year, but at least it helps.
We’ve answered a few questions like these in our time:
You’ll find all of the answers right here.
Don’t just walk into Service Ontario empty-handed. There are several things you’ll need to bring with you in order to fill out the license plate renewal form:
You’ll also need to be able to pay for the renewal plus any outstanding traffic tickets and fees you may have—unpaid parking tickets, speeding tickets, and stuff like that.
Pro tip: Have you moved recently? You’ll need to notify the Ministry of Transportation of your new address before you apply for a license sticker renewal.
Follow these steps and you shouldn’t have any trouble renewing your license plate sticker this year:
License plate sticker online renewal form is a question-based process to ensure you don’t miss anything.
Have questions about renewing your license plate sticker in Ontario? We’ve got answers.
If you’d like to renew your license sticker in person, you can locate the nearest ServiceOntario location and hours here. Be aware it may be very busy, so set aside a good amount of time to visit. Most locations are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Some are also open Saturday mornings until 1pm, but they’re always closed on public holidays. You can also contact ServiceOntario with your questions at 1-800-267-8097.
Yes you can. You can renew online up to 180 days before your sticker expires. If you live in Ontario, you can renew online right here.
If someone has all of the required information, they could renew your license plate sticker online. If you want to renew in person at a ServiceOntario location, you must do it yourself. (It also must be done in person for farm equipment or heavy commercial vehicles over 3,000kg.)
Yes, your license plate sticker will always expire on your birthday. You can purchase a one-year or two-year sticker and you can renew within 180 days of expiry. You can sign up to receive an email reminder 60 and 30 days before expiry.
You are required by law to renew your license plate sticker. Failure to do so will result in a $110.00 fine (in Ontario). If you have renewed it but haven’t received it in the mail yet, you need to carry your Extended Vehicle Validation Period Receipt.
Yes you do. The process for renewing is the same, with the exception that you do not need to provide insurance information.
Renewing a license plate sticker costs $120 in Southern Ontario and $60 in Northern Ontario, but you’ll also need to pay off any outstanding fines if they’re still unpaid. This cost was increased from $108 for Southern Ontario and $54 for Northern Ontario in 2016.
Outstanding fines you’ll have to pay to renew your license plate sticker in Ontario can include:
You can pay with VISA, Mastercard, and Interac Online.
You need to notify the Ministry of Transportation within 6 days of moving. Update your change of address before applying for your license sticker renewal. You can change your address online right here.
Don’t forget to update your vehicle permit, too! The license will be delivered within 4-6 weeks, but the permit needs to be picked up at your local ServiceOntario centre.
If your license plate sticker is going to expire before you will receive it in the mail, you will receive a temporary license sticker validation document that is valid for 14 days. You must keep this document on your person while driving.
You can purchase one-year or two-year stickers, but we recommend you renew at least one month before expiry.
No. It is illegal to drive in Ontario without valid insurance. If they cannot validate your insurance information (company and policy number), then you will not be able to renew. As mentioned above, snowmobiles are exempt from this rule.
If you need a new sticker within 30 days of receiving your new one, you can get a free replacement. After 31 days, you’ll have to pay $7.00 for damaged, stolen, or lost stickers.
Maybe you moved to a different province, or maybe you don’t use the vehicle anymore. Sometimes there are situations where you want your money back. If you’re deemed eligible for a refund, you can get a debit/credit refund or a cheque in the mail. Find out more here.
That covers just about everything, folks. The process is pretty painless these days, thankfully. Happy driving!