Ontario police forces are launching a crackdown starting Monday, March 31, targeting drivers with damaged, unreadable, missing, or obstructed licence plates.
Provincial police in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, and the Central Region—including areas from Muskoka to Lake Ontario and Dufferin County to Northumberland County—will be actively enforcing license plate visibility rules.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) warn that obscured licence plates, whether covered deliberately, dirty, or damaged, impede their automated licence plate recognition systems, which help identify suspended drivers and stolen vehicles. Using licence plate covers that obstruct visibility is also illegal and subject to a $110 fine.
Drivers whose licence plates are peeling or damaged should visit a Service Ontario location immediately. Both plates must be brought in for replacement, along with a driver’s licence and vehicle permit. Licence plates deemed defective within five years of purchase will be replaced free of charge; otherwise, a $59 fee applies.