Police in Gatineau, Que. received 1,800 tips about out-of-province licence plates, 30 tickets issued

An Ontario licence plate on Tuesday. Gatineau Police are cracking down on residents with out-of-province plates on their vehicles. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

More than two dozen drivers in Gatineau, Que. have received a ticket for driving with a non-Quebec licence plate, as part of a crackdown on residents with out-of-province licence plates.

In February, the Gatineau Police department launched an operation targeting Quebec residents with out-of-province licence plates on their vehicles. Police asked residents 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 July 16, the city received 1,852 tips from the public about drivers with non-Quebec licence plates.

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

A police spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa 30 tickets have been issued to drivers for out-of-province plates since the operation began.

The fine for having an out-of-province licence plate is $200, with fees bringing the total fine to $336.

Police say 50 cases have been referred to Revenu Quebec for investigation, while 10 cases were closed because they involved commercial plates.

Several investigations have also been closed for various reasons, including the owner complied to register the vehicle with the Quebec government, the owner moved or there was insufficient information to investigate, according to police.

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

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