Dispute a Ticket (Penalty Notice or Penalty Order)
Parking, Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) and by-law tickets, penalty notices or penalty orders may be disputed through our screening process.
Parking, Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) and by-law tickets, penalty notices or penalty orders may be disputed through our screening process.
Before choosing to dispute a ticket, please be aware of the following:
- Penalty/tickets are issued when there is a violation of a municipal by-law or regulation.
- A violation or contravention remains valid regardless of the reason, intent, or duration.
- Being unaware of by-laws or regulations does not excuse one from penalties.
- Valid tickets are not cancelled.
- When disputing a ticket, an independent legal process is engaged that is legislatively prescribed to be free from interference.
- If a ticket is neither paid nor disputed within the given timeline, it will be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) or collections. Once sent to the MTO or collections, tickets can no longer be appealed or disputed.
- For parking and by-law tickets,
- Signage is not required to provide notice of violations.
- Photos of the violation are not required to issue a parking ticket.
Submit a ticket dispute
- You or your agent must submit the appeal request within 15 days of ticket issuance. Anything later may result in additional fees
- Search Online Services for your ticket by entering the ticket number and licence plate
- Complete the Screening Request (Appeal) form, including the reason for your dispute.
- Attach any documents or photos you would like to be considered in the ticket review
- Screening to be completed by phone: Select an appointment date.
- Screening to be completed by email: Do not select an appointment date.
- Submit screening request.
- Screening to be completed by phone: If you selected screening to be completed by phone, a screening officer will call you on the date and time of your scheduled meeting to review your request.
- Screening to be completed by email: If you selected screening to be completed by emails, a Screening Officer will provide a response via email.
- Any requests for consideration due to financial hardship should be supported by documentation.
- Screening reviews for Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) tickets will be conducted exclusively via email. Phone screenings are not available unless accommodations are required. If you request an appointment date when you submit your screening review form, it will be automatically cancelled, and your review will proceed via email.
- You or your agent must submit the screening review (appeal) request within 30 days of ticket deemed served. Anything later may result in additional fees and the ticket being sent to MTO for collections.
- Search Online Services for your ticket by entering the ticket number and licence plate.
- For the ticket number refer to Penalty Order No. on the Penalty Notice
- The ticket number is entered as the year and 8-digit unique ID from Penalty Order No. (YYYY########)
- For example, the ticket number for Penalty Order No. 2025-315-52-A0200007-001 is 2025A0200007
- Complete the Screening Request (Appeal) form, including the reason for your dispute.
- Attach any documents or photos you would like to be considered in the ticket review.
- Do not select an appointment date.
- Submit the review request.
- A screening officer will review your submission and provide an email response.
Automated speed enforcement penalties are issued to, and the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle/plate, regardless of who was driving the vehicle at the time.
- You or your agent must submit the appeal request within 15 days of ticket issuance. Anything later may result in additional fees
- Search Online Services for your ticket by entering the ticket number and licence plate
- Complete the Screening Request (Appeal) form, including the reason for your dispute
- Attach any documents or photos you would like to be considered in the ticket review
- Select an appointment date.
- By-law ticket screening appointments are only available on Fridays. If you select any other day, your appointment will automatically be rescheduled.
- A screening officer will call you on the date and time of your scheduled meeting to review your submission
Screening review process
Screening review via email
After submitting your screening request form, including the reason for dispute, the screening officer will review your submission and provide an email response.
Please monitor your email’s junk/spam folder for the screening decision email. Safelist the domain "oakville.ca" to ensure messages are delivered to your inbox.
Phone screening meetings
For by-law tickets, including business licensing and animal control violations, an appointment must be scheduled for a screening officer to review your ticket. The meeting will be held over the phone.
If you or your agent fails to attend/participate in your scheduled screening meeting:
- The dispute will be considered abandoned
- The ticket penalty will be upheld, and administrative fees will apply
To submit an appeal, use our Online Services.
During the screening review
- The review is overseen by a screening officer who has the authority to uphold, reduce, or extend time to pay the penalty.
- Tickets that are found to be valid after review cannot be cancelled.
Independent hearing reviews
Request an independent hearing
After completing your screening, if you are not satisfied with the decision of the screening officer, you have up to 15 days after the screening decision was delivered to request a review by an independent hearing officer. The decision of the hearing officer is final.
To request a review by a hearing officer, you or your agent must submit a Notice of Intention to Appear at a Hearing Meeting form to the Town of Oakville within 15 days of the screening decision. This form is available by contacting Enforcement Services at parking@oakville.ca.
What to expect during hearing meetings
All hearings are currently being held remotely by teleconference.
A ticket recipient can provide supporting documents and images to parking@oakville.ca by noon, one business day prior to the hearing date.
If you fail to attend a hearing:
- The dispute will be considered abandoned
- The ticket penalty amount and any previous administrative fees will apply
- An additional fee will be applied for failure to attend the scheduled hearing. The current fee is $100 for parking and by-law tickets and $60 for ASE tickets.
Questions?
Contact ServiceOakville at 905-845-6601.
Available Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.