Fee for license plate stickers abolished in Canadian province
The Ontario government is preparing to give money back to motorists.
Effective March 13, the government Ontario eliminated fees for license plate replacement stickers and matching stickers for cars, small trucks, motorcycles and mopeds.
As part of bureaucracy legislation introduced last month, the province will begin reimbursing vehicle owners for any license plate renewal fees paid between March 1 and March 12, inclusive. According to the government, most motorists who have already paid the fee will have to be reimbursed between late March and early May.
However, during this period, the government will send reimbursement checks only to motorists who have renewed their address and paid overdue fines or tolls by March 7. Otherwise, the check will not come until summer or fall.
The amount will depend on when you last renewed your license plate and how much you paid. Owners of large trucks and motorized snowmobiles will not get a refund at all. As an exception, owners of the latter are entitled to a refund if they have never used the sticker.
Eliminating fees for license plate replacement sticker fees will save many Ontario drivers about $120 CAD a year. At the same time, the measure is expected to cost the provincial government more than $1 billion CAD annually.
The renewal process itself is not cancelled, as it will still be required to verify insurance information and ensure that drivers pay fines and tolls.
