Frequently Asked Questions

Who Can Issue Provincial Offence (POA) Notices?

The following enforcement agencies in Windsor and Essex County can issue infraction notices (also referred to as tickets):

• Windsor Police Service (WPS)
• Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)
• By-law Enforcement Officers
• Fire Department
• Ministry of Transportation
• Ministry of Environment
• Ministry of Labour
• Ministry of Natural Resources
• Ministry of Health
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)

What Are The Different Types of Provincial Offence Notices?

There are three different types of Provincial Offence notices:

• Part I - a ticket that is issued to an individual
• Part II - a parking infraction (Note: These are not paid at our office. See Parking Enforcement at 1266 McDougall)
• Part III - a summons (including a court date)

What Options Do I Have When I Receive a Ticket?

Within 44 days of receipt of the Offence Notice (ticket), you must choose one of the following options below. If you fail to respond, you will be deemed not to dispute the charge and will be convicted.

Although the back of the ticket references 15 days in Windsor/Essex Provincial Offences, we allow 44 days, as the officer has 7 days to file with our office, and it takes up to an additional 14 days for the ticket to get into our systems.

Option 1 - Plea of Guilty

By choosing this option, you are stating that you are guilty, and you must pay the total amount at the bottom of your ticket.

Payment Options Include:

• Online Payment at paytickets.ca
• In-Person Payment at Suite 401-400 City Hall Square East, Windsor, Ontario (ON), N9A 7K6
• Phone Payments: Phone in your payment with a credit card at 519-255-6555.
• Mail-In Payments: You can mail a cheque payable to The City of Windsor Provincial Offences and reference your ticket number in the memo line.
  Address for mail-in payment: Suite 401-400 City Hall Square East, Windsor, ON, N9A 7K6

Option 2 - Early Resolution Meeting

This option offers you the opportunity to schedule a meeting with the prosecutor to discuss your charge(s). This meeting can be used to discuss a possible resolution of the charge or to request additional time to pay your fine. If you are unable to reach a resolution, a trial date will be set for you.

To make an Early Resolution Request please go online to:

• Ontario.ca/ticketsandfines

This is the preferred method for this request, as you will receive a confirmation email for your records. Please note that your ticket must be in the system to use this option and it could be up to 21 days before your ticket is in the system.

Other Early Resolution Request Options:

• Fill out the back of the ticket indicating “option 2,” and send a picture of that to poa.tickets@citywindsor.ca by email.
• Request in person at Suite 401-400 City Hall Square East, Windsor, ON, N9A 7K6
• Mail in a copy of your ticket with “option 2” selected to Suite 401-400 City Hall Square East, Windsor, ON, N9A 7K6

Early resolution meetings are scheduled approximately 6 to 8 months after the date of the offence. Your notice for the meeting will be mailed to the address on file with the court. If you move, you will need to contact our office directly to update your address. If you provide your email address, we will also send a courtesy email in addition to the physical copy if the court has your email address.

To check the status of your ticket or to check if your meeting has been scheduled, please go to Ontario.ca/ticketsandfines online.

If your status only shows “active,” that indicates that we have not scheduled your meeting yet. If your status shows “active” and has a date and time underneath it, that is your scheduled meeting time.

Option 3 - Trial Option

If you wish to plead not guilty, have a trial and plead your case to a justice of the peace, you or your representative must complete and file a Notice of Intention to Appear.

To make a trial request, you can choose one of the following options:

• Sign the back of the ticket indicating “option 3,” complete that portion of the ticket, and send a picture of it to poa.tickets@citywindsor.ca by email.
• Request in person at Suite 401-400 City Hall Square East, Windsor, ON, N9A 7K6
• Mail in a copy of your ticket with “option 3” selected and your signature to Suite 401-400 City Hall Square East, Windsor, ON, N9A 7K6

Trials are scheduled approximately 6 to 8 months after the date of the offence. Your notice for the trial will be mailed to the address on file with the court. If you move, you will need to contact our office directly to update your address. We will also send a courtesy email in additional to the physical copy if the court has your email address.

What Happens If I Don't Do Anything After I Have Received a Ticket?

Once 45 days has passed, the charge will be placed on a Fail to Respond docket and a clerk of the court will review the offence notices and may convict you in absentia. Once you have been convicted, it is too late to choose any of the options indicated on the back of your ticket.

Why Are There Two Amounts On My Ticket?

There are two different amounts shown on every ticket: the set fine amount and the total payable amount. The difference between these two amounts is called the Victim Fine Surcharge (VFS). The VFS is imposed by the provincial government and is collected by our office on behalf of the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) and remitted directly to MAG. It is added to every fine that is given under the Provincial Offences Act (except parking fines). See schedule of how the Victim Fine Surcharge (VFS) is calculated.

What Are My Payment Options?

There are many payment options available to you. See our Payment Options for more details. You can also pay at any Provincial Offences court location .

Can I Look Up the Status of my Ticket Online?

How Do I Apply For More Time to Pay?

If you need more time to pay your fine, you can complete an Extension of Time to Pay form. When the form is completed, it must be emailed, mailed or dropped off in person at the Windsor/Essex Provincial Offences office. It will be submitted to a clerk of the court for review.

Please note that a good faith payment is required on your matter(s) to be considered for approval by the clerk of the court.

The Extension of Time to Pay request will be reviewed by a clerk of the court within 5 business days of receipt of the request. If granted, you will be expected to make payments as set out in your order. Please note that approved extensions are time limited and only granted to the date indicated on your approved form.

Please contact the court office by email or phone after 5 business days to confirm the results of your extension of time to pay request.

The Provincial Offences court will pursue further collection efforts against an offender to ensure that all fines are paid in full. In addition to our internal collection efforts, these actions include, but are not limited to adding the fine to property taxes, sending fines to third-party collections, garnishing wages and bank accounts, putting liens on properties and suspending licences. Additional administrative fees, interest, court fees and penalties may also be added.

Do I Need A Lawyer If I Choose to Challenge My Case in Court?

It is your choice to be represented by a lawyer or agent, but it is not a requirement. You may represent yourself in the Provincial Offences Court (please refer to the Guide for Self-Represented Defendants). However, if you choose to be represented by a lawyer or agent, it is a requirement that they attend court on your behalf with written authorization from you. The Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) offers various services to the public, including "Finding a Lawyer or Paralegal." The Law Society of Upper Canada's Lawyer and Paralegal Directory also allows you to search for lawyers and paralegals by name, city or postal code.

Note: Please be aware that the Windsor/Essex Provincial Offences office will not provide advice or promote or endorse any lawyer or agent under any circumstances.

I Can't Attend My Trial. What Should I Do?

As soon as you are aware that you can't attend your trial, contact your court office where the trial is scheduled. A request for adjournment requires that a Notice of Motion be served by you to the prosecutor and the enforcement agency giving three days notice. You can have an agent appear and speak on your behalf and provide the court with your reasons why you cannot be present. The justice of the peace may still choose to proceed in your absence.

What Happens If I Miss My Trial Date or Meeting With Prosecutor?

If you miss your trial date or meeting with the prosecutor, you will be convicted in your absence.

• If you were initially given an Offence Notice (Part I ticket), you may complete reopening papers within 15 days of becoming aware of the conviction. The papers will be put before a justice of the peace who will then consider the reasons for your failure to appear at trial or early resolution meeting. The reopening may or may not be granted:
• If granted, you will receive a new Notice of Trial or Early Resolution Meeting Notice by mail. It is your responsibility to advise the court of any change to your mailing address
• If it is not granted, the conviction will stand. You cannot appeal the decision denying a reopening, but you may appeal the original conviction.
• If you were served with a Summons, there are two possible outcomes:
• The trial may take place in your absence, and you may or may not be convicted. If you were convicted at a trial where a Summons was served, a reopening is not available, but again you may appeal the conviction or
• A new trial date may be selected, and you will not be provided with any further information.

What is Disclosure? How Do I Order Disclosure?

Disclosure is a copy of the evidence that the prosecutor and/or police have collected in order to prosecute your case. It is your constitutional right to know the evidence that will be used against you.

See Request for Disclosure to complete the form. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for processing.

What Happens If I Am Found Guilty?

You will be sentenced. Your sentence could include a fine, probation, court order, by-law related order, licence suspension, imprisonment or any combination thereof.

How Do I Appeal My Conviction?

You must file an appeal within 30 days of the conviction date. The fine must be paid in full, or an application to file an appeal without paying the fine must be completed before filing the appeal.

If you are past the allotted time, you may also apply for an extension of time to appeal under Section 85 of the Provincial Offences Act. A provincial judge must grant both the application to file appeal without paying the fine and the application for extension of time to appeal.

Appeal documents may be obtained by requesting pre-populated forms from poa.tickets@citywindsor.ca by email, in person from the Windsor/Essex Provincial Offences office, from the Ontario Court of Justice, or via our online forms.

Will I Be in Court All Day If I Am Scheduled For a Trial?

Be prepared to be in court all day, as there can be a number of cases before your case.

My Licence Is Suspended For Unpaid Fines. How Can I Get it Back?

Contact your local Provincial Offences Act Court office to determine if there are any outstanding fines. Pay all outstanding fines in full. Three to five business days after the payment is made, go to your local Ministry of Transportation (MTO) office and pay a reinstatement fee. The Provincial Offences office has no authority to waive this fee. The Ministry of Transportation will advise when you can drive.

Note: Failure to receive notification by mail of your conviction and/or suspension notice does not constitute grounds to dispute your license suspension.

How Many Demerit Points Will I Receive Once I Am Convicted?

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) administers and determines demerit points. For driver and vehicle information, call the MTO office at 1-800-303-4993 or visit their website.