Most plates will renewal themselves, but there are some exceptions including motorhomes and older vehicles
- As of July 1, 2024, most drivers in Ontario will see their cars’ licence plates automatically renew themselves
- The province says the auto-renewal program is the first of its kind in North America
- Some vehicles will not have plates auto-renewed, including commercial vehicles; motorhomes; buses; off-road vehicles; trailers; and classic cars
Vehicle licence plate renewals in Ontario used to just be free; but now, drivers don’t have to worry about them at all. As of July 1, 2024, licence plates will automatically renew as well. In a statement, Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, said the government is “making life more affordable and convenient for drivers.” The Ministry claims the automatic renewals will “save vehicle owners time, amounting to more than 900,000 hours every year.”
But because they didn’t have to pony up a fee and then stick that annual sticker onto their plates anymore, many Ontario drivers didn’t realize they still had to renew their plates, or they simply forgot that it was time to do so. Last February, an estimated one million Ontario drivers had let their plate renewals lapse, which could have resulted in fines of up to $1,000 each. The Ontario government says the auto-renew program is a first for any jurisdiction in North America.
If that’s the case, the owner will get a notice, and will have to renew online or through Service Ontario. You don’t get any notification if your plate rolls over for another year without any issues.
Not everything is covered under the new auto-renew program. You’ll still have to go through the regular channels to renew plates on commercial or business vehicles; on motorhomes; buses and school buses; off-road vehicles and snowmobiles; trailers; and older vehicles manufactured before 1983, even if you don’t have to pay for those plate renewals.
The new program came in under the Get It Done Act, which received royal assent in February 2024. In addition to automatic renewal, the Act is proposing amendments that would prohibit Ontario from placing new tolls on provincial highways; and freeze the price of a new or renewed driver’s licence, which is currently $90.