Police in Gatineau, Que., issue tickets for out-of-province licence plates after receiving 1,400 tips

Police in Gatineau have issued six tickets for out-of-province licence plates after receiving 1,400 tips. CTV’s Peter Szperling reports.

Six tickets have been issued to residents in Gatineau, Que. for driving with non-Quebec licence plates, as police follow up on hundreds of tips about rule-breakers cruising around the city.

In February, Gatineau Police launched an operation targeting Quebec residents with out-of-province licence plates. Residents were encouraged to call 3-1-1 to report neighbours, friends or other residents who have been living in Quebec for more than three months with a non-Quebec licence plate on their vehicle.

Between Feb. 19 and April 28, the city received over 1,400 reports of non-Quebec vehicle registrations. Police say 140 cases are under investigation.

“The work of analysis and the investigation is ongoing,” a Gatineau Police spokesperson told CTV News Ottawa in a statement.

“To date, five tickets have been issued.”

A sixth ticket was issued for an out-of-province licence plate on Tuesday, according to police.

“In the investigation, we’re making sure that people have been living in Quebec more than 90 days,” Gatineau Police spokesperson Maude Laverdière told CTV News Ottawa Tuesday afternoon.

“We receive a report from someone anonymously, and then there’s some police officer that give an investigation; so they have to look at it, if it’s really someone that needs to get a ticket.”

• City of Gatineau receives more than 800 tips about residents with out-of-province licence plates

Provincial law requires new residents to register their vehicles with the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) within three months to receive a Quebec plate.

The fine for having an out-of-provincial licence plate is $200.

“I have neighbours with Ontario plates. So far, I haven’t snitched on them,” Guy said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Bob Barclay was in the process of changing his Ontario plate to a Quebec plate.

“We’re Quebec residents, so you switch everything over to Quebec. It‘s the right thing to do.”

The crackdown on out-of-province licence plates comes after the city implemented a new vehicle registration tax to help fund Gatineau’s STO. Under the plan approved by council, each registered vehicle is subject to a $60 tax in 2025, and a $90 vehicle tax starting in 2026.

The vehicle registration tax is collected by the SAAQ, and applies to automobiles, motor homes, SUVs and minivans, but not motorcycles, mopeds, and vehicles for institutional, professional and commercial use, according to the city.

The new $60 vehicle registration tax imposed by the City of Gatineau is in addition to a $30 fee that has been charged by the province since 1992.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond and Peter Szperling