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How do parking tickets affect my car insurance?
Most drivers are familiar with the inconvenience of a parking ticket. Whether parking in a handicapped space without a permit, failing to follow time limits, disobeying seasonal restrictions on residential streets or otherwise, parking tickets are nothing but a nuisance. While receiving a parking ticket can put a damper on your day with an unwanted expense, many drivers wonder if parking tickets can impact their car insurance rates. The simple answer is no. Generally speaking, parking tickets won’t affect your car insurance. Car insurance companies base their rates on a variety of factors including age, driving record, location, mileage, and more, but number of parking tickets isn’t one of them.
Can my license be suspended for unpaid parking tickets?
No, your license won’t be suspended for unpaid parking tickets. While certain traffic convictions in Ontario such as an unpaid speeding ticket can result in a license suspension, an unpaid parking ticket won’t have this consequence. However, you don’t get off that easily for an unpaid parking ticket. When you have an outstanding payment for a parking ticket in Ontario you could be prevented from renewing your license or license plate.
Can I renew my license with unpaid parking tickets?
In most cases, you will have 15 days to either pay your ticket or dispute it. Certain cities in Ontario such as Toronto will allow you to submit your dispute online. It’s important to remember that if you miss the deadline printed on your ticket to dispute the ticket, you will be forced to pay the fine. While it may be tempting to shove the ticket away somewhere and forget about it, it’s best to just get it over with.
Pay the fine right away!
Should you fail to settle your ticket within the first 15 days, you will receive one or two notices in the mail as a reminder. It isn’t until after about 90 days that the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) will receive this information for collections. What this means is that the MTO will flag your plate as “plate denial”. When this happens, you will have no choice but to pay the fine before you need to renew your license plate. The fee will also have likely increased from the initial ticket price. Best practice to avoid any bumps in the road is to pay the fine right away and move on.
One thing to note is that If you drive with an expired license and get into an accident, your insurance coverage will not apply. When purchasing any car insurance policy, having a valid driver’s license is a condition that must be met. This means that if your license isn’t valid, you will be without coverage for any motor vehicle accident claims. So, if you drive with an expired license and are found at-fault in a motor vehicle accident, depending on the extent of the damage, you could be faced with several bills amounting to upwards of a million dollars. A simple way to avoid an expired license is to pay your parking ticket right away.
Will my car insurance premium go up if I get a parking ticket?
A parking ticket will never cause your car insurance premium to increase. Parking tickets are an inconvenience and can be costly, but once they’re paid for, they’re gone and won’t come back to haunt you with an increase in your insurance premium. In fact, parking tickets aren’t considered a moving violation and because of this won’t even show up on your driver’s abstract, which is a document issued by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation that provides a detailed overview on the status of your licence. You can find important information on your driver’s abstract such as the type of licence you have, the date you were first licensed, your renewal date, and any tickets, convictions, suspensions, or reinstatements you’ve received over the last three years.
When your insurance company is evaluating your driving profile, they will have no idea how many parking tickets you’ve received. You could have collected 20 parking tickets over the years and they would never know. The important thing to note here is that your premium will remain unaffected with each parking ticket you receive.
Can you get demerit points for a parking ticket?
Not only do demerit points accumulate on your record when you receive a traffic ticket, but they also have the ability to have your license suspended or revoked. Having a certain number of demerit points on your record can also affect your car insurance upon renewal. You will be happy to hear that you won’t get demerit points for getting a parking ticket! As mentioned previously, a parking ticket isn’t considered a moving violation and won’t show up on your driver’s abstract. With parking tickets as well, there is no way of proving who was driving the car. Once you pay the fine for your parking ticket, it will be as if it never happened.
So what is the moral of the story here? Next time you walk back to your car and find that slip of paper tucked under your windshield wiper, make sure to deal with it right away! While a parking ticket is an inconvenience for anyone, at least it won’t increase your car insurance rates. Once paid for, you can walk away with a clean slate. Should you be unsure about the status of your license or whether you have any outstanding parking tickets that have yet to be paid, you can contact Service Ontario or the Ministry of Transportation for more information.
Car insurance doesn’t have to be a headache. If you’re looking for affordable car insurance that is suited for your specific needs, let us help you at Complete Car. We will compare quotes online from the best insurance companies in the country, never settling until you are fully satisfied with your quote. Get a quote today!
