Questions About Traffic Tickets

The first amount shown on the left side of the ticket is the “Set Fine” as determined by the Chief Justice of Ontario. The amount in the box to its right is the total amount payable after the Victim Fine Surcharge and court costs have been added to the set fine.

If a person is convicted of an offence in a proceeding commenced by under Part I or III and a fine is imposed in respect of that offence, a surcharge is payable by that person in the amount determined by regulations made under the Provincial Offences Act.

The amount is on a sliding scale that is added to the set fine. The monies collected are meant to be used for victims of crime.

A request may be made to a justice of the peace at the convicting court for an extension of time to pay the fine. This is usually granted if they can be provided proof, such as receipts from the court that some effort has been made to pay the fine in installments. If none of the fine has been paid then it will be unlikely any extension will be granted.

No, the ticket will not be dismissed if the officer did not sign YOUR copy of the ticket. There is no longer a requirement to do so.

What is required is that the issuing officer signs the copy that is filed with the court. This is called the certificate of offence. The absence of an issuing officer’s signature on the certificate is fatal to the charge and it should be quashed, if it gets as far as to be in the court, before a justice of the peace. It may well be that if the lack of a signature is noticed by the court’s administration the certificate will be returned to the officer.

The officer has six months in which to relay the charge by way of a summons.