The worst feeling is coming back to your car after having lunch or doing some shopping and finding a parking ticket on the windshield.
But this scenario is all too common in Toronto. With over 2.8 million parking violations handed out each year, the city doesn’t mess around with parking infractions.
If you’re one of the unlucky ones that received a ticket, here’s everything you need to know about how to pay your parking ticket in Toronto, disputeit, and how it can affect your insurance and credit score.
Common Parking Violations In Toronto
Toronto has strict traffic rules, especially for parking. It’s common for city dwellers to receive a ticket, especially if they’ve lived in Toronto for a while. So, what are some frequent violations? Here’s how you could end up with a ticket.
- Parking more than 30 cm away from the sidewalk.
- Obstructing a driveway or laneway
- Parking too close to a fire hydrant – within 3 meters
- Parking within 9 meters of an intersection
- Parking on a sidewalk
- Stopping on a bridge
- Parking on a fire route
- Parking on a bike route
- Parking in the bus stop lane
- Parking within 9 meters of a crosswalk
Most street parking throughout Toronto requires a permit. You cannot park for more than three hours on most streets unless you have a permit for that location. No permits or incorrect ones tend to generate many parking violations throughout the city.
If you find yourself with a ticket, there are a few ways you can pay for it or challenge it. Here’s how.
How To Pay a Parking Violation In Toronto
1. Pay Online
Usually, you have around 15 days to pay for your ticket. Sometimes, you’ll get a reminder in the mail along with a reduced price as an incentive for paying it early.
If you forget or don’t pay for the ticket, there are several consequences. They usually range from added fees to court appearances. Your delinquent payment may affect your credit score if you continue to ignore it.
However, if you know you’re in error and want to make a quick payment, doing it online is the easiest option. Go to MyToronto Pay where you can view your violation and pay it.
The site accepts most major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), debit cards, or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
You might already have an account under MyToronto Pay if you make payments online for property taxes or utility bills.
Under the Parking Violation Services, you can also dispute your ticket with a screening review that will determine the final outcome.
2. Pay In-Person
You can pay in person at one of the city’s counter locations, Civic Centres or City Hall. The following payment forms are accepted.
- Cash
- Cheque
- Money order
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Debit card
The payment centers are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. However, some counter services limit their payment hours, so it’s best to call your intended location ahead of time.
You can also dispute your violation in person. To do this, you need to call the APS Dispute Line at (416) 396-4APS (4277). You must have an appointment to dispute your ticket, walk-ins will be turned away.
You also won’t know the results immediately after meeting with a Screening Officer but will find out within a few days.
3. Pay By Mail
Another easy way to pay your violation is through the mail. All you have to do is send a cheque payable to the Treasurer, City of Toronto to:
- Parking Tag Operation
- Box 4282, Postal Station “A”
- Toronto, ON M5W 5W5
Make sure to write your parking violation on your cheque, and do not send cash payments. Send it before the due date, so there’s enough time for it to arrive before it’s late.
What If I Don’t Pay My Ticket?
You have 15 days to pay your parking violation. After that, you’ll start incurring overdue parking penalties and late fees.
If you still haven’t paid after 60 days, you’ll have a Plate Denial Enforcement Fee added to your charge and will no longer be able to pay online.
Instead, you’ll have to visit a service center location to pay the original fine and any subsequent penalties.
Here’s a list of some of the additional charges and how much they cost.
If you continue to ignore the fine, you could receive a court appearance order, incur additional fines, and see your credit score drop.
What Happens To My Auto Insurance?
Luckily, a parking ticket does not add demerit points to your driving record. Because of this, your auto insurance isn’t affected by incurring parking violations.
Reasons To Appeal Your Parking Ticket
There are certain situations when your violation is incorrect – that’s why there’s a way to contest it. Here are some of the top reasons why you should file an appeal.
- You parked your vehicle correctly.
- Unclear parking or road signs
- Overcharged for your violation
- Your car broke down.
- You just ran out of time on your meter.
A common misconception is that you can’t get a ticket if you are in the car. That isn’t true. However, because ticketing is at the officer’s discretion, they usually don’t initiate violations if the person is in or near the vehicle.
If you plan to dispute your ticket, you have 15 days to do so. Otherwise, you can request an extension.
The Bottom Line
While parking tickets are a hassle, paying for them doesn’t have to be. You can either pay online, in person or through the mail. Even disputing a ticket isn’t hard – it’s easy to do online.
You only have roughly 15 days to pay before you start incurring extra charges – don’t wait because those fines could add up quickly.
While you’re in your car, maybe even driving around looking for a parking space, why not get paid for it? Check out how to earn money while you drive around.
