Police warn Ontario drivers to renew licence plates as people get hit with hefty fines

'Sticker shock' for expired Ont. plates in Quebec Ottawa senior fined nearly $500 for having expired license plates. CTV's Dave Charbonneau explains.

Ontario police are reminding drivers to renew their licence plates even though it’s now free of charge.

While Ontario scrapped the licence plate renewal fee back in March, the actual renewal process is still required.

At the time, the province said dropping this fee would save drivers $120 a year.

In a video, OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt warned motorists that they could face a serious fine if they fail to renew their plate. Some drivers in Ontario have been hit with $500 fines for failing to do so.

"Have you had a birthday recently? Did you get some birthday cards in the mail? Well, one thing that you no longer get in the mail is that renewal notice from the Ministry of Transportation to renew your VAL tag for your passenger vehicle, light commercial truck, motorcycle or moped," Schmidt said earlier this week.

“It may not cost anything, but you are still required to go online and renew your registration,” he added.

Schmidt explained that the expiry typically falls on the owner’s birthday and it’s their responsibility to renew their validation.

"Officers across the province are seeing many more vehicles now without proper registration. You could get ticketed for that," he added.

To get emails, texts or phone calls 60 and 30 days before an expiry, the province now has a digital reminder service that’s available.

Ontario drivers can renew their licence plates at a ServiceOntario location, online or by mail.