Q. How many days do I have to respond once I recieve a Provincial Offence Notice/Ticket
A. Please read the back of your ticket carefully as within 15 days you must choose one of the 3 Options, Plea of Guilty - Payment out of Court, Plea of Guilty with an explanation or Trial Option.
Q. Why are there two amounts on my ticket?
A. One amount is the set fine and the second is the total payable. The total payable consists of the set fine, Court costs and the victim fine surcharge.
• Court costs are an amount to be paid by the defendant for the service of the offence notice and/or summons and upon conviction of an offence. The
costs are authorized by Section 60 of the Provincial Offences Act and the amount is set by Regulation.
• The Victim Fine Surcharge is imposed by the Provincial Government and is added to every fine imposed under the the Provincial Offences Act. The
amount of the Victim Fine Surcharge is variable, and is based on the amount of the set fine. See chart. Proceeds from the surcharge are used to maintain
and expand provincial services to victims of crime.
Q. How can I get my driver's licence reinstated?
A. If a provincial offence fine is not paid within the prescribed time, your licence may be suspended and a $20.00 charge will be added to the fine. You will receive notification of the suspension by mail from the Ministry of Transportation. To have your licence reinstated you must:
• Pay all the outstanding fines that are suspending your licence.
• Pay the $150. 00 reinstatement fee to the Ministry of Transportation.
• Allow 3-5 business day processing time after paying the fine(s) for the suspension order to be lifted.
• Check with the Ministry of Transportation before driving to ensure that your licence is valid.
Q. How much do I owe in fines?
A. To find out how much you owe in fines, call or visit your local Provincial Offence Court office, have the offence number, file number or your driver's licence ready when calling.
Q. How can I appeal the outcome of my trial?
A. For a Part I or Part II offence, the appeal must be filed within 15 days of conviction. For a Part III the appeal must be filed within 30 days of conviction.
• Under the rules for Appeal the fine is to be paid first, and must be at the POA office where the charge is from.
• Forms may be obtained at any Provincial Offences Court or Ontario Court of Jusitce office, but must be filed at the Ontario Court of Justice office where the charge is from.
• Part III appeals require transcripts from the original trial - 3 copies must be ordered, one for the Justice, one for the Prosecutor and one for the Appellant, the transcripts are to be ordered at the POA office and a deposit will be required.
Q. What does it mean when I receive a ticket (Part I offence) with a court date written on the bottom of my ticket but no fine amount?
A. When there is no fine amout written on the ticket, you must appear in court on the date and time assigned.
Q. What can happen if I don't appear for my court date?
A. For a Part I offence if you do not appear you will be deemed not to dispute under Section 9.1 of the Provincial Offences Act and a conviction will be registered by the Court upon review of the Offence Notice. Court costs in the amount of $10.00 will be applied on top of the fine imposed for failure to appear.
For a Part III offence if you do not appear on the date that you have been summonsed or any subsequent court date you may have a bench warrant issued,or trial may be scheduled and proceed in your absence. Court costs in the amount of $30.00 will be applied on top of the fine imposed for failure to appear.
Q. How do I contact the Prosecutors for Disclosure and Resolutions?
A. For the County Prosecutor who deals with Part I and Part II matters follow the instructions on the yellow sheet enclosed with your Notice of Trial. For the Crown or Provincial Prosecutor who deals with Part III matters they can be reached at the Crown's Office at: 4 Wellington Street, St. Thomas, Ontario, N5R 2P2 T: 519-631-1506 or F. 519-633-9629
