Licence plate renewal

What is licence plate renewal?

Licence plate renewal is the process of extending your vehicle registration and, usually, paying a fee. A valid, up-to-date registration is mandatory for driving your vehicle on public roads or highways.

Plate renewal no longer has much to do with the licence plate itself. In the past, you’d receive a sticker with your registration’s expiry date to stick on your licence plate. However, many provinces have moved away from physical stickers in favour of digital registration.

In the provinces with public car insurers (BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), the annual plate renewal goes hand-in-hand with your annual car insurance renewal. Quebec is similar, in that you’ll pay your annual insurance contribution when you register. Elsewhere, it’s a separate process — but you will usually need valid car insurance before you renew your vehicle registration.

Provincial plate renewal processes

British Columbia

In BC, vehicle registration and licence plates are integrated with car insurance. So, you don’t need to renew your licence plate at all. As long as you renew your car insurance each year, your licence plates and registration are valid. If you cancel your car insurance, you’ll have to return your licence plates.

You can renew your insurance online on ICBC’s website, or by visiting a broker.

Since driving with expired registration is the same as driving uninsured, the penalty is severe. The fine for driving without insurance in BC is $598.¹

Alberta

Vehicle registrations in Alberta expire on a staggered schedule based on the first letter of the owner’s surname. If a company owns the vehicle, it’s based on the company name. Your registration expires annually, at midnight on the last day of your assigned month. Alberta no longer requires expiry stickers for licence plates.²

Vehicle owners in Alberta have three options for renewing their registration:

1. Online at eservices.alberta.ca
2. By mailing a completed renewal form
3. In person at an authorized Alberta Registry Agent

To renew, you’ll need your registration certificate, confirmation of insurance (pink card), and a way to pay. The fee for renewing a passenger vehicle registration starts at $102.³ Owners of fully electric vehicles will have to pay an additional $200 tax each year.⁴

There’s no grace period after your registration expires, so make sure you take care of it. If you’re caught driving without a valid registration, you risk a penalty of $351, plus a victim fine surcharge. You could even have your car impounded.⁵

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is another province that integrates vehicle registration with public car insurance. When you initially register your vehicle or pay for the annual renewal, you’re also paying for basic car insurance coverage. Your basic insurance coverage and your registration expire at the same time. Any optional insurance you’ve added could have a different expiry date, however.

Saskatchewan doesn’t use expiry date stickers for licence plates.⁶

Residents of Saskatchewan can renew their registration at any licence issuer or online at MySGI. When you renew, you’ll need your expiring registration documents.

Driving without a valid vehicle registration in Saskatchewan carries a $580 fine.⁷

Manitoba

In Manitoba, vehicle registration must be renewed annually. Registration is administered by Manitoba Public Insurance, so you’ll register and insure your vehicle at the same time. If you have a multi-year car insurance policy from MPI, you still have to pay your annual registration renewal fee.

The annual registration fee for most non-commercial vehicles is $129.⁸

The most common payment methods for the annual fee are paying online or in person at any Autopac agent. Alternatively, you can arrange payment through your financial institution or by mailing a cheque.

The penalty for driving without valid registration in Manitoba is $298 and minus two Driver Safety Rating points.^{9 10}

Ontario

Unlike other provinces, Ontario actually does refer to registration renewal as “licence plate renewal.” Plates must be renewed annually, but the renewal is automatic and free of charge for most everyday vehicles. If your vehicle is eligible for automatic renewal, you won’t receive any notice; Ontario doesn’t use licence plate stickers, either.

Vehicles that don’t qualify for automatic renewal include commercial vehicles, motorhomes, vehicles built before 1983, and snowmobiles. If your vehicle isn’t eligible, you can renew it manually online at ServiceOntario.¹¹

The penalty for driving without a valid registration in Ontario is $125, plus the victim fine surcharge and court costs.¹²

Quebec

In Quebec, registration for passenger vehicles must be renewed annually. The date of the renewal for passenger vehicles is determined by the first letter of your surname. Many other types of vehicles, including motorcycles, heavy trucks, and commercial vehicles, renew in March or April.¹³

The fee for renewing a passenger vehicle’s registration is $140. When you renew, you’ll also pay the annual contribution to the provincial insurance program. Altogether, expect to pay $217.41 when you renew registration for a typical passenger vehicle in a non-designated or peripheral region.¹⁴ Residents of many municipalities must also pay a transit contribution and a vehicle registration tax.

The government is offering a rebate of up to $50 on renewals for gas, diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid cars between September 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027.¹⁵

If you’re fined for driving with a lapsed registration, expect to pay $300 to $600, plus court costs and victim surcharge fees.¹⁶

Related articles

• Vehicle identification numbers
• Lending your car: when to tell your insurer

Commonly asked questions

What do you use as proof of licence plate renewal?

When you register your vehicle or renew your registration, you’ll get a certificate that demonstrates your valid registration. A digital copy may be acceptable in some circumstances, but it’s usually best to have a physical registration document.

Most provinces no longer require dated licence plate stickers.

Can dealerships renew licence plates?

Car dealerships can’t renew existing vehicle registrations. They can usually help you get new licence plates (or transfer your existing plates) when you buy or lease a car from them.

Can you renew licence plates from another province?

If you’re temporarily out of your home province you can renew your licence plates remotely as long as your province offers digital renewals.

However, if you’ve permanently moved to a new province, you can’t renew your vehicle’s registration in your original province. You’ll need to register your car in your new home province. Generally, you have to do so within 30 days (in BC and Ontario) or 90 days (in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec). In many cases, your car will need to pass an inspection before you can register it in a new province, so it’s best to deal with it soon after moving.

Does driving without registration affect your insurance?

A ticket for driving with an expired vehicle registration usually has no effect on your car insurance premiums.

“Driving without a valid registration is an administrative offence, as opposed to a moving offence like speeding,” said Daniel Mirkovic, President + CEO of Square One. “Moving offences almost always affect your premiums, while administrative offences usually don’t.

“Of course, obvious exceptions include provinces with public insurance. For example, in BC and Saskatchewan, driving without registration basically amounts to driving uninsured. That can certainly affect your premiums if you’re ticketed for it, not to mention the fact that you wouldn’t have insurance coverage for an accident that occurred during that time.”

Sources

1. British Columbia. Violation Ticket Administration and Fines Regulation, B.C. Reg. 89/97, Schedule 3. King’s Printer, last amended 27 Oct. 2025.
2. “Renew Your Vehicle Registration.” Alberta.ca, Government of Alberta, www.alberta.ca/vehicle-registration-renewal. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026.
3. “Renew Passenger Vehicle Registration.” Alberta eServices, Government of Alberta, eservices.alberta.ca/renew-passenger-vehicle-registration.html. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026.
4. Alberta. Fuel Tax Act, SA 2006, c. F-28.1, s. 22.2. Alberta King’s Printer.
5. Alberta. Procedures Regulation, Alta. Reg. 63/2017, s. 5(1) and Schedule, Part 31, s. 4, item 7. Alberta King’s Printer, office consolidation current as of 13 Mar. 2026.
6. “Saskatchewan Licence Plates Are Going Stickerless.” Government of Saskatchewan, 2 Oct. 2012, www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2012/october/02/saskatchewan-licence-plates-are-going-stickerless.
7. “1,166 Drivers Should Not Have Risked It during November’s Traffic Safety Spotlight.” SGI, Saskatchewan Government Insurance, 19 Dec. 2017, sgi.sk.ca/news?title=1-166-drivers-should-not-have-risked-it-during-november-s-traffic-safety-spotlight.
8. “Province Commits to Reducing Vehicle Registration Fees.” News Releases, Government of Manitoba, 13 May 2021, news.gov.mb.ca/news/?item=51279.
9. Manitoba. Preset Fines and Offence Descriptions Regulation, Man. Reg. 96/2017, s. 3(1), Schedules A and B. King’s Printer for Manitoba, last amended 8 May 2026.
10. Manitoba. Driver Safety Rating System Regulation, Man. Reg. 13/2009, ss. 2(1), 4(1) and 7(1), Schedule A. King’s Printer for Manitoba, last amended 30 Dec. 2025.
11. “Licence Plate Renewals.” Ontario.ca, Government of Ontario, www.ontario.ca/page/licence-plate-renewals. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026.
12. “Schedule 43 — Last Updated: July 1, 2026.” Set Fines, Ontario Court of Justice, 1 July 2026, www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/provincial-offences/set-fines/set-fines-i/schedule-43-last-updated-july-1-2026/.
13. “Renewing a Vehicle Registration.” Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, 6 Feb. 2025, saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/vehicle-registration/renewal-vehicle-registration.
14. “Cost of Registration Renewal – Passenger Vehicles (Automobiles or Other).” Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, 23 Dec. 2025, saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/saaq/rates-fines/vehicle-registration/cost-renewal/passenger-vehicles.
15. “Temporary Rebate on Vehicle Registration.” Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, 15 July 2026, saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/saaq/rates-fines/vehicle-registration/cost-renewal/passenger-vehicles/temporary-rebate-on-vehicle-registration.
16. Quebec. Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 31.1 and 59. Éditeur officiel du Québec, updated to 2 Apr. 2026.

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