i.
What the charge means
Section 2(1) of the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act prohibits operating or permitting the operation of a motor vehicle on a highway unless it is insured under a motor vehicle liability policy.
Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act s.2(1)
No Insurance charges in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Operating a motor vehicle without valid insurance is one of Ontario's most heavily-penalised driving offences — fines start at $5,000 and the long-term insurance consequences often exceed the fine itself.
- Courthouse
- Niagara Region Provincial Offences Court
- Court Phone
- (905) 687-6590
- Consultation
- Free & Confidential
ii.
Penalties
First offence: minimum $5,000 fine, maximum $25,000, plus a 25% victim fine surcharge. Subsequent offences: $10,000 to $50,000. Possible licence suspension up to one year and vehicle impoundment up to three months. After conviction, obtaining insurance often requires the Facility Association at high-risk premiums for several years.
iii.
Available defences
- Valid insurance was in effect at the time (proof of coverage)
- Honest but mistaken belief in coverage (e.g., a renewal lapse)
- Identification of the driver
- Charter — unlawful stop or detention
- Due diligence in maintaining coverage
iv.
The process
Provincial Offences Court. Given the severity, almost always benefits from professional representation. Crown is often willing to reduce or withdraw where proof of coverage at the time can be located, even after the fact.
v.
Notes for St. Catharines
St. Catharines criminal matters are heard at the St. Catharines courthouse on Church Street. Provincial offences from across Niagara Region, St. Catharines included, are heard at the Niagara Region POA court in Welland.
Traffic / POA Court
Niagara Region Provincial Offences Court
445 East Main Street, Welland, ON L3B 3X7
(905) 687-6590
All Niagara Region provincial offences, St. Catharines included. Niagara runs a single POA courthouse, in Welland — there is no POA courtroom in St. Catharines.
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