Court and Traffic Tickets (Provincial Offences)
Beware of Scams: If you receive a text/instant message or call requesting online payment for an Ontario Provincial Offences Court fine from someone claiming to be from the Ontario Court, it may be a scam. The Region of Durham Collections Department and/or their third-party collection agencies may call and/or use text messages; however, they should not claim to be from the Ontario Court. You can always deal directly with the Region's court staff as noted on this webpage if you have an outstanding fine to pay.
Due to the Canada Post disruption, please do not mail your payment. Payments can be made online at paytickets.ca or phone by calling 905-668-3130. If you are paying an automated speed enforcement ticket or a red light camera ticket through paytickets.ca and have received an error message, please try again in seven days from the deemed service date on your ticket, or visit our office at 605 Rossland Road East in Whitby during the seven-day period to pay in-person. Due to the Canada Post disruption, the Ontario Court of Justice has issued an Order Extending Timelines under the POA. The Order is available in both English and French.
Durham Region Provincial Offences Court Services
Visitors to the Durham Region POA court office will be required to conduct passive screening prior to entering the facility. Passive screening means that visitors remain diligent about their own fitness to appear and self-screen for symptoms of COVID-19; visitors should not physically attend if they are unwell.
To reduce wait times in our Court Services office, all in-person services are also available online throughout the tabs below.
General Information
About Us |
The Durham Region Provincial Offences Court Services office handles charges laid under the Provincial Offences Act (POA). Offences under the POA include those committed under the Highway Traffic Act, the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, the Trespass to Property Act, the Liquor Licence and Control Act, and other provincial legislation, municipal by-laws and minor federal offences. Durham Region POA staff are responsible for setting trials and early resolution meetings, receiving fine payments resulting from charges laid by the various police forces and enforcement agencies operating within the Region, and managing the filing of POA matters including reopenings and applications for extensions of time to pay fines. |
Court Appearance and Zoom Link Information |
All Provincial Offences Act (POA) court appearances may be held in-person or by audio/videoconferencing. If you have a matter scheduled and would like more information about POA court proceedings, please visit our Court Appearances webpage. |
Contact Us |
Our court office is located at Regional Headquarters, Lower Level, 605 Rossland Road East in Whitby. The Court Services office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). A Provincial Offences drop-off box is available for after-hour (no cash) fine payments and court document submission. The drop-off box is located beside the south entrance of the building. You can also contact our office by telephone between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding holidays), at 905-668-3130 or (toll-free) 1-866-779-8839. Our fax number is 905-668-3166. General inquiries can be emailed to poa.courts@durham.ca. |
Guide for Defendants in Provincial Offences Cases |
The Guide for Defendants in Provincial Offences Cases provides defendants with general information about the court process for Provincial Offences. It does not provide legal advice. It does not cover every circumstance that might arise in your case. |
Types of Tickets
Offence Notice Options (ICON location code 2860) | ||||||
You have 15 days to select one of the options on the back of your ticket. If you do not select an option within 15 days, you are deemed not to dispute the charge and the Clerk of the Court may convict you in your absence. Additional costs will be added.
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Parking Tickets | ||||||
Parking tickets vary by municipality. Review the information on the back of your ticket for instructions on how and where to pay your fine, or how to request a trial. If you need more information about your parking infraction, contact the municipality that issued you the ticket. Fines that are past due may be forwarded to our court office to collect payment, depending on the municipality that issued the ticket. Additional costs will apply. We do not have access to your parking ticket data until the municipality notifies our court that your fine is past due, which can take between 35 to 75 days after you receive the ticket. |
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Summons |
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An enforcement officer will issue a summons for more serious offences. It has no set fine amount. You are required to appear on the date and time indicated on your summons. If you are unable to appear for your court date, you must send someone in your place. If neither you or your representative attend for your court date, the Justice of the Peace can issue a warrant for your arrest or can find you guilty and sentence you in your absence. If no one attends your court date, you must contact the court office to inquire about the outcome of your court appearance as you will not receive any further notices from the court. |
To check the status of your tickets or fines, including how much you owe and where to pay, visit: www.ontario.ca/ticketsandfines
Fine Payment Information
Please note that we do not accept payments via E-Transfer or email; do not email your credit card information.
How to Pay a Fine |
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To pay your fine, select one of the options below. Please do not email your credit card information to make payment.
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Victim Fine Surcharge | ||||||||
At the bottom of every ticket there are two different amounts shown, the set fine and the total payable. The difference between these two amounts is called the Victim Fine Surcharge (VFS) and is imposed by the provincial government. You have to pay a Victim Fine Surcharge on every fine, except parking. This is a fee added by the Province of Ontario. It is collected to help victims of crime. The VFS is on a sliding scale based on the amount of the set fine. |
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Collections and Enforcement | ||||||||
Failure to pay your fine can cause:
You might receive notice from our Collections Department. This means your fine is past due. You will then need to contact our Collections Department by email or telephone at 905-666-6243 or toll free at 1-866-223-3315. Your driver's licence may be suspended. Additional fees will be added. |
Court Services
Application for Extension of Time to Pay | ||||
If you are unable to pay your fine by the due date, you may apply for more time to pay. You can either submit an Extension of Time to Pay Application online or attend the court office in-person. The Clerk of the Court will review your extension application and may grant it if good faith payment efforts have been made and the application of extension is not being used to evade payment.
It is your responsibility to call us three business days after you have submitted your application to inquire if your extension has been granted or denied. |
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Reopening Application | ||||
If you were convicted without a hearing on a ticket and wish to apply to have the matter reopened by the court, you are required to complete a reopening application. If the matter you are applying to be reopened is a parking infraction, you must fill out a parking infraction reopening. At this time, you are not required to have your affidavit commissioned. Facts for reopening:
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Transcripts | ||||
A transcript is a typed-written record of the court proceeding. To order a transcript, you must fill out a Transcript Order Form. Once your order is submitted, the Transcript Coordinator will contact you to provide you with the required deposit amount. All transcript deposits are non-refundable and your order will not be confirmed until the deposit has been paid in full. Effective April 1, 2022, transcript fees have changed. For more information about these changes, refer to the Fees for Court Transcripts, which is regulated by Ministry of Attorney General. |
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Disclosure Requests | ||||
Disclosure is a copy of the officer's notes and/or other important evidence that may exist. How you order disclosure depends on the type of ticket or summons you receive.
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Appeals | ||||
Read the Guide to Appeals in Provincial Offences Cases. You must fill out and file appeal forms within 30 days of your conviction. Go to the Appeal Court located at 150 Bond Street East in Oshawa.
Depending on the type of charge you are appealing, you may need to order transcripts of the court proceeding. |
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Accessibility | ||||
We provide accessibility assistance and services, including:
To request these services, contact us by email or telephone at 905-668-7711 or toll-free at 1-866-779-8839 before your visit or court date. |
Forms and Resources
General Forms | ||||||||||
Please note that some forms can be translated into other languages using the Google Translate function at the top of your browser.
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Frequently Asked Questions | ||||||||||
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Acts and Legislation | ||||||||||
Many laws and statutes are available on the e-Laws website. |
The Region of Durham - Provincial Offences website has been designed with accessibility in mind. We are working towards having the content on our website meet compliance of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) Level AA.
Exceptions: Documents received from external organizations may not be in an accessible format. If these documents are needed in an accessible format, please call 905-668-3130.
Contact Us