Ignoring a parking ticket might feel easier. It’s not. You get a parking ticket in Toronto.
What Happens When You Ignore a Toronto Parking Ticket
You think about ignoring it. That doesn’t work. Ignoring a ticket makes it worse. Fines increase.
Penalties get added. But here’s the mistake.
The Escalation Timeline
People either ignore it or pay it immediately. Both are wrong. You should check it. Because many tickets have issues.
But if you ignore it, you lose your chance to fight it. So don’t ignore it.
When It Gets Serious
Check it first. Toronto's escalation process starts at 15 days. After the initial due date passes, a 25% late payment fee is added to the outstanding ticket. If the ticket remains unpaid after 30 days, the Ministry of Transportation is notified, which puts a hold on your vehicle's licence plate renewal.
You cannot renew the plate — or get new plates in Ontario — until all outstanding parking fines are cleared. Toronto can also send unpaid tickets to a collection agency, which adds collection fees on top of the parking fine and late penalty.
What to Do Instead
Once it's in collections, your credit report may be affected depending on the agency's practices. Toronto has been aggressive about collection referrals, particularly for tickets older than 90 days. If you've already missed the initial 15-day appeal window, you can still request a trial date through the court — this is different from the standard screening process and takes longer, but it preserves your right to contest the ticket. At trial, you need to appear in person and present your case to a justice of the peace.
Strong documentation is essential. If the ticket is legitimate and you've missed your options, pay through the city's online system at toronto.ca/parking-tickets before the plate renewal hold kicks in. Late fees are painful but registration consequences are worse, especially if the vehicle is needed for work or daily driving.