Parking tickets in Toronto: how to pay, dispute and what they cost
Toronto handles parking tickets through its Administrative Penalty System (APS), a City process rather than the provincial courts. You have 15 days to pay in full or start a dispute; paying first waives your right to dispute. Fines range from $15 to $500.
Facts checked October 8, 2026
Ways to pay
| Method | Where or how | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online [1] | The City’s portal (secure.toronto.ca/webapps/parking) | Visa or Mastercard; processing fees apply |
| By mail[1] | APS Operations, Box 4282, Postal Station “A”, Toronto, ON M5W 5W5 | Cheque or money order to “Treasurer, City of Toronto”, violation number on the front |
| In person[1] | Inquiry & payment counters at City Hall and the civic centres | Cash, cheque, money order, Visa, Mastercard, Amex or debit, Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| After 60 days unpaid[2] | ServiceOntario locations only | Once plate renewal is blocked, this is the only way to pay |
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Disputing a ticket
- Ask for a Screening Review within 15 days of the ticket, online through the parking portal or in person at North York Civic Centre or Metro Hall.[3] Official page
- You don’t have to pay while a dispute is open, but paying any part of the ticket counts as accepting it and gives up your right to dispute.[3]
- Screening decisions are currently taking up to 10 months, the City says.[3]
- Disagree with the screening decision? Ask for a Hearing Review within 15 days of it; hearings are held remotely by default, with an in-person option on request.[3]
- The Administrative Penalty Tribunal’s hearing decision is final: there is no further appeal.[11]
- Missing a Screening Review costs $64.18; missing a Hearing Review costs $96.28.[4]
- A lawyer, licensed paralegal or other authorized representative can dispute a ticket for you.[3]
Fines and common tickets
- Toronto parking fines run from $15 to $500 depending on the offence.[5]
- Toronto has no blanket overnight ban: the city-wide default is an unsigned 3-hour parking limit, in effect at all hours, every day, unless a sign says otherwise. Exceeding it is $40.[7]
- No permit in a residential permit-parking zone: $45. These signed zones also carry their own overnight restriction, typically from 12:01 a.m. to 7 a.m., for cars without a permit.[8]
- Blocking a driveway or laneway: $65. Parking within 60 cm of one without fully blocking it: $75. Within 3 m of a fire hydrant: $125.[6]
- In a designated fire route: $250. In an accessible space without a valid permit: $450, the highest common fine.[6]
- An expired coin meter is $30; an expired pay-and-display machine is $50.[6]
- Parking on a signed snow route during a declared Major Snowstorm Condition is $100 ($200 for blocking a streetcar track), and the car can be towed.[6]
Towing and good to know
- A car can be towed if its owner has 3 or more unpaid, undisputed tickets more than 120 days old; a valid accessible parking permit exempts the car from this.[5]
- You don’t have to pay the outstanding tickets to get a towed car back, only the towing and storage charge, which the Province rather than the City now sets.[5]
- Car towed? Call Toronto Police Service’s non-emergency line, 416-808-2222 (press 4, then 2), with your plate number and last known location.[10]
- A parking ticket doesn’t touch your driving record or add demerit points.[5]
- The City says it never texts about a parking ticket or sends reminders through a third party.[1]
- Questions: 311 in Toronto, 416-392-2489 from outside the city, or apsinquiry@toronto.ca.[1]
Common questions
How do I pay a parking ticket in Toronto?
Online through the City of Toronto’s parking portal (Visa or Mastercard), by mail to APS Operations with a cheque or money order, or in person at City Hall or a civic centre. There’s no phone payment line or drop box listed by the City.
How long do I have to deal with a Toronto parking ticket?
Toronto gives you 15 days to pay in full or start a dispute. Miss it and an address search fee, then a late fee, then a plate-denial fee follow in stages, ending with your plate renewal blocked.
Can I dispute a parking ticket in Toronto?
Yes. Ask Toronto for a Screening Review within 15 days without paying first — paying any amount waives your right to dispute. If you disagree with that decision, you can ask for a Hearing Review, whose decision is final.
How much is a parking ticket in Toronto?
Toronto parking fines run from $15 to $500. Common ones: $40 for the city-wide 3-hour limit, $65 for blocking a driveway, $125 near a fire hydrant, and $450 for an accessible space without a permit.
Does Toronto have overnight parking restrictions?
Not a single city-wide ban. Toronto’s default is a 3-hour limit at all hours, and only signed permit-parking zones and one legacy former-North-York area add an overnight restriction on top of that.
My car was towed in Toronto. How do I find it?
Call Toronto Police Service’s non-emergency line at 416-808-2222 (press 4, then 2) with your licence plate and last known location. You pay the towing and storage fee to get it back.
Have a driveway near Toronto?
Listing is free. Set your own price and hours, and eligible earnings are paid out every week.
Sources
- City of Toronto: Pay your parking violation
- City of Toronto: Collection process for parking violations
- City of Toronto: New parking violation dispute process
- City of Toronto: Fees for disputing a parking violation
- City of Toronto: About parking violations
- Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 610, Schedule A
- City of Toronto: Parking regulations
- City of Toronto: Residential On-Street Parking
- City of Toronto: Parking violation fees
- Toronto Police Service: Have you been towed?
- City of Toronto: Administrative Penalty Tribunal
Rates and rules change. Check the official page before you park; these were last checked October 8, 2026.
Researched by the Parkeas team from the official pages above. Parkeas is independent: not affiliated with the Cities, venues, hospitals or universities named in these guides. How we check these guides