Premier Doug Ford has revealed plans to eliminate the annual registration of licence plates in Ontario, making the process automatic for drivers. The announcement, made during a Tuesday morning news conference in Toronto, marks the province’s continued efforts to streamline and simplify vehicle registration.
Ford stated, “We are getting rid of that totally. Registering your vehicle, we did the first step, getting rid of the stickers. Now we are getting rid of the re-registration.” The Premier assured that plates will be automatically re-registered, removing the need for individuals to worry about the process.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) reported that as of January 2024, there are 1,015,139 expired plates in Ontario. However, the automatic renewal will only apply to drivers “in good standing,” excluding those with outstanding parking tickets or toll bills.
Previously, the Ford government had eliminated all fees associated with the annual registration of licence plates in 2022. Effective March 13, 2022, drivers of various vehicles were no longer required to pay renewal fees or attach stickers to their plates.
Despite the initial surge in expired plates following the fee elimination, the automatic renewal aims to further simplify the process for drivers. Ford emphasized that the upcoming changes will be legislated soon, although specific details on the timeline were not provided.
The Premier’s office confirmed that the licence plate renewal changes will be part of a larger bill presented to the Legislature. This comprehensive bill is expected to include not only the licence plate renewal alterations but also a requirement for a future provincial carbon pricing plan to undergo a referendum. The bill is slated to be tabled on Tuesday as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) return to the Legislature.