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There are many different kinds of tickets related to driving. For most of these tickets, you have different options in how you can respond to them.
There are different kinds of traffic tickets. The first step in responding is determining what type of ticket you have received.
You may receive an offence notice ticket if you are stopped for a traffic violation. Common offences that are enforced using this type of ticket include speeding and running a red light. An offence notice ticket will set out:
These tickets are usually given to you at the time of the offence. They can also be left at your home with someone who appears to be at least 18 years old. If the ticket cannot be reasonably served in this way, it can be sent to you by registered mail.
These offences are also dealt with using offence notice tickets. For these offences, however, the tickets are sent by mail to the address that is on the vehicle registration.
You may receive a summons ticket if you are stopped for a traffic violation. Common offences that are enforced using this type of ticket include passengers not wearing a seat belt and driving without a licence plate. A summons ticket will set out:
These tickets are usually given to you at the time of the offence. They can also be left at your home with someone who appears to be at least 18 years old. If the ticket cannot be reasonably served in this way, it can be sent to you by registered mail.
The vehicle owner is liable for parking offences regardless of who was driving.
You will usually receive a parking ticket from the municipality first. The form of the parking ticket is determined by the municipality itself. It will usually include:
You will receive a parking summons if you do not pay the ticket on time. Some municipalities may start with a parking summons instead of a ticket for some or all offences. The parking summons will include the information similar to the ticket. It will also include, however, a court date or a way to get a court date. The parking summons is usually sent by regular mail to the address on the vehicle registration.
Depending on the type of ticket, there may be different ways to respond to it.
In most cases, tickets include a voluntary payment option. This amount will be shown on the ticket. You have until the court date to pay the ticket. If you pay, you will not need to attend court. Paying a ticket means that you acknowledge guilt for the offence set out on your ticket.
If you receive a summons ticket, it may or may not show a fine amount. If it does not, you must appear in court on the date set out in the ticket.
Many of the rules for responding to a parking ticket are set by the municipality. For example, some municipalities offer a lower fine if you pay the ticket early. Pay close attention to the parking ticket or parking summons so that you know your options.
If you enter a guilty plea, you are admitting that you are guilty of the offence. Pleading guilty in court instead of just paying the ticket allows you to make requests to the court regarding your penalty.
To enter a guilty plea, other than for offence notice tickets, you must appear in court on the date set out in your ticket. If you have an offence notice ticket, you can choose to send in your guilty plea instead. You can do this if you want to plead guilty but ask for a different penalty. You must make this request to the court at least 30 days before the court date on your ticket.
If you enter a not guilty plea, you are saying that you are not guilty of the offence. You will only be found guilty if the prosecutor can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the offence.
To enter a not guilty plea, other than for offence notice tickets, you must appear in court on the date set out in your ticket. If you have an offence notice ticket, you can choose to send in your not guilty plea instead. You must make this request to the court at least 30 days before the court date on your ticket. If you do this, you will receive the trial date in the mail.
Once you plead not guilty, a trial date will be set. This will be weeks or months away. This gives both you and the prosecutor time to prepare and arrange for any required witnesses.
If you do nothing about your ticket, you will usually be deemed guilty. This means that the court automatically convicts you. In this case, the fine amount on the ticket will be imposed.
For offence notice tickets where you have pled not guilty or for summons tickets, the following can also happen:
Many errors on a traffic ticket can be corrected by the court if a ticket is challenged. This includes things like your name being misspelled, an incorrect address, or the wrong driver’s license number or license plate. The ticket does however have to identify the offender and set out what offence you are charged with.
If you plead guilty or are found guilty, the court will impose a penalty. There are important things to know that can help you navigate this.
For some offences, there is a set fine amount that cannot be changed by the court. For example, a parking bylaw may say set a parking fine at exactly $50. If that is the case, then the court cannot change the amount.
Some offences may have a penalty range, however. The law could set a minimum or maximum fine with no specific set penalty. In this case, the court may change the fine amount regardless of what it says on the ticket you received.
If you want to plead guilty and request a lower fine amount, you must appear in court on the date specified in the ticket. In this case, you can always contact the prosecutor in advance to try to negotiate the fine amount as well.
After you plead guilty or are found guilty, you will have a certain amount of time to pay the penalty. The default time is 15 days. You can, however, ask for more time to pay. You will need to explain why you need more time.
If you plead guilty or are found guilty, you can choose fine option instead of paying the ticket. Fine option is a program where you do community service work instead of paying the ticket. If you choose fine option but do not complete the service, you will have to pay the remaining amount.
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