Provincial Offences Office

Note:
If you have a City of Peterborough Parking Ticket, you may pay the fine at City Hall, 500 George Street or at the Provincial Offences Office, 99 Simcoe Street. Or Click here to pay your parking ticket online.

Note:
Online payment option is now available via www.paytickets.ca .
When you receive your offence notice (ticket) you have 15 days to exercise one of the options listed on the back of your yellow offence notice (ticket). Failure to take action within the 15 day time frame, you will be deemed not to dispute the charge and a guilty plea will be entered in your absence along with an administration charge.

Note:
When you receive your Offence Notice (ticket) you have 15 days to exercise one of the options listed on the back of the ticket. If you fail to exercise an option within the time allowed, you will be deemed not to dispute the ticket and a conviction will be registered in your absence. Additional costs will be added to the fine.

The Provincial Offences Office, a division of the Legal Department, is responsible for offences, under the Provincial Offences Act, in the City and County of Peterborough.

Location

Provincial Offences Office
99 Simcoe St.
Peterborough Ontario K9H 2H3
Phone: (705) 742-7777 x2099
Fax: (705) 743-9292
Office Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm
If you wish to see the Justice Of The Peace, call the office for availability.

Provincial Offences Courts:

• Process /accept payment of Provincial Offences fines
• Prosecute /arrange Provincial Offences trials
• Accept filing of Provincial Offences Act matters including re-openings, motions and extensions of time to pay fines
• Handle general inquiries about Provincial Offences matters
• Provide Court Clerk / Monitor staff for Provincial Offences court proceedings

Please note that court staff are not lawyers and cannot provide legal advice.

Provincial Offences Include:

• Speeding, careless driving, or not wearing a seat belt (Highway Traffic Act)
• Driving without insurance or failing to surrender your insurance card (Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act)
• Having open liquor in a vehicle or being intoxicated in a public place (Liquor Licence Act)
• Entering premises when entry is prohibited or failing to leave premises after being directed to do so (Trespass to Property Act)
• Smoking in an enclosed workplace or selling tobacco to a person under 19 (Smoke Free Ontario Act)
• Occupational Health and Safety, Ministry of Environment, Transportation, Natural Resources, Labour, or Finance violations
• Municipal bylaws (noise, zoning, parking)

Persons who are issued a ticket should read it carefully for a complete list of the options available to them.

If you receive a ticket, you have three options:

Option 1 - Plea of Guilty - Payment of Fine (Out of Court)

If you have received a ticket and do not wish to contest the charge, you may sign the back of the ticket under Option 1 and forward your payment to the court indicated on the back of the ticket. You must pay the full fine amount indicated in the box called "total payable", which is the total of the set fine, victim fine surcharge and costs. The victim fine surcharge is added to every set fine under the Provincial Offences Act and payment of the surcharge is mandatory. When you exercise Option 1, your payment is deemed to be a plea of guilty. Demerit points may apply.

Payment can be made in person, by mail or online payment via www.paytickets.ca. A partial payment cannot be made until a conviction is registered, therefore payment must be made in full. If a cheque is returned for insufficient funds, the fine will not be considered paid and an NSF fee will be added to the total payable indicated on the ticket.

Your cheque /money order should be made payable to the "City of Peterborough". The ticket number (8-digit number on the top right hand corner of the ticket) should be written on the front of your cheque or money order. Payments may also be made by VISA, MasterCard, Interac, American Express, or by telephone (705-742-7777 x2099). Note: We do not accept post-dated cheques. Payment can also be made at any Provincial Offences Office in the Province of Ontario. Call our office for another court’s address.

Option 2 - Plead Guilty With An Explanation

This option is available for individuals who do not wish to dispute the charge, but wish to plead guilty before a Justice of the Peace and ask for a lower fine and /or more time to pay. You, or an agent on your behalf, may attend at the Provincial Offences Office located at 99 Simcoe Street, Peterborough. If you are sending someone to act as your agent, you should send written authorization with that agent, in letter format indicating you authorize your agent to enter a plea of guilty on your behalf. Always call the Provincial Offences Office on the day you plan to attend to enter a plea of guilty to ensure a Justice of the Peace is available. Contact us at (705) 742 7777 ext 2099. You must bring your ticket with you.

A Justice of the Peace will read the charge to you or your agent, ask for a plea and register a conviction. The defendant's explanation can only result in a reduction of the fine, or an extension of time to pay. A Justice of the Peace cannot remove or reduce the demerit points that may be applicable, or reduce the charge. By Regulation under the Highway Traffic Act, demerit points are applied by the Ministry of Transportation upon conviction and the court has no authority to intervene.

Option 3 - Trial Option - Do Not Mail

A trial date may not be set by mail.
You or your agent must attend the court office in person within the times and days shown to file a Notice of Intention to Appear (NIA). If possible we will set your trial date on the day you file your NIA, and you will receive a Notice of Trial on the same day. Otherwise, the trial notice indicating your trial date, time and place will be mailed to you at the address indicated on the NIA. It is your responsibility to advise the court if you change your mailing address. Changing your address with the Ministry of Transportation, does not update our records. At the time fixed for your Trial, the prosecutor and/or police officer will be available to discuss the charge.

Please be aware that if you do not appear for trial, you may be convicted without a hearing, and the court will add costs, in addition to the fine.

First Attendance Meeting

If you wish to meet with the Municipal Prosecutor to discuss your charge, you may attend the court office and request a First Attendance Meeting. You will be required to complete a Notice of Intention to Appear (NIA) for the meeting and a date will be scheduled with the Prosecutor. If you wish more information about First Attendance Meetings call the Provincial Offences Office at (705) 742-7777 x2099.

Summons Information

If you received a summons, it will indicate a court date instead of a fine. You or your agent are required to attend court on the date indicated on the summons. If you fail to appear in court, a warrant may be issued for your arrest, or the court may proceed to trial in your absence. You may not see a Justice of the Peace before your court date, and depending on the type of offence, your matter may be dealt with by the Provincial Prosecutor. Contact our office for more information about your summons, as the procedures for a ticket indicated above, do not apply.

Additional Information

Once convicted you will receive a Notice of Fine and Due Date informing you of your conviction and your payment due date. This notice also informs you of the actions that may be taken, (such as Licence Suspension, Plate denial, civil action and reporting the outstanding debt to a collection agency), should you not pay your fine.

If you cannot pay your outstanding fine in full, you may attend the Provincial Offences Office to apply for an extension of time to pay. The Justice of the Peace will decide if the extension is allowed. This process takes approximately one week and it is your responsibility to follow up with our office to ensure your extension was granted.

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Revised:2010-04-19| Revised by: The City of Peterborough