Ontario License Plate question

[PRH]

We no longer have an annual validation sticker in Ontario so that deals with the question of front or back (location). BUT we still have those red stickers declaring "primarily for personal use only". My question? Does THAT go on the front plate or the back plate? I was certain it was supposed to go on the front plate but I just picked up my truck today and the dealership has it on the back (again, the red personal use tag). Anyone know for certain? Any retired police out there? Is it a chargeable offense?

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[chrisehyoung]

I don't have a red sticker on either plate and i've never heard of it. This is my first truck though so perhaps it's just not something i've ever had to worry about.

 

[PRH]

Are you from Ontario? I guess all trucks are initially considered commercial.

 

[stevhorn]

We no longer have an annual validation sticker in Ontario so that deals with the question of front or back (location). BUT we still have those red stickers declaring "primarily for personal use only". My question? Does THAT go on the front plate or the back plate? I was certain it was supposed to go on the front plate but I just picked up my truck today and the dealership has it on the back (again, the red personal use tag). Anyone know for certain? Any retired police out there? Is it a chargeable offense?

I'm from Ontario and I've never heard of such a thing.

 

[PRH]

Next time you're out and about, look at the front plate of most Ontario pickups, they'll have a red personal use sticker (which I was certain was supposed to go on the front plate, upper left - but today, now, I'm not so certain about where it goes)

 

[stevhorn]

Next time you're out and about, look at the front plate of most Ontario pickups, they'll have a red personal use sticker (which I was certain was supposed to go on the front plate, upper left - but today, now, I'm not so certain about where it goes)

Well, I picked up my Maverick from an Ontario dealer in April and it has no such sticker. My old Nissan pickup didn't have one either.

 

[Tazgarde]

I'm from Ontario and I've never heard of such a thing.

Ditto. Had a Ranger for 12 years previous and only had the standard Month/Year sticker on the corner of black truck plates.

 

[PRH]

Isn't that interesting? I see tonnes of them (especially in Northern Ontario). It'll be neat Steve to see if you start to notice them (front plate, upper left I'm certain [or I was, ha]). I'll post a pic of mine tomorrow.

 

[stevhorn]

I'll take a look. Maybe it's a Northern Ontario thing. I know the old license fee was much lower in Northern Ontario than it was in Southern Ontario.

 

[PRH]

Might be (a Northern Ont thing) but very strange that I'm from downtown Toronto and I got one today. This might be fun to get to the bottom of. Anybody? PS here's a pic of the plate/ sticker:

 

[stevhorn]

There really is a lack of information on the use of these stickers. On my walk this morning I looked at 12 pickup truck license plates and saw 2 red exemption stickers, 3 white exemption stickers, 2 yellow stickers denoting commercial use, and 5 with no stickers at all. After searching online for 20 minutes or so, I found this:

So, do our trucks require any sort of exemption sticker? I don't know. I couldn't find any mention of these stickers at Ontario.ca. But, Wikipedia says this:

"All pickup trucks are legally considered commercial vehicles and thus require commercial plates. However, if used strictly as a passenger vehicle ("personal-use vehicle"), a truck may be exempt from some conditions imposed on commercial vehicles, indicated by a white or red "PERSONAL USE ONLY" sticker affixed in the top left corner of the front plate."

If you have one, where does it go? Every one I saw was on the front plate, upper left corner.

If your truck appears to be a personal use vehicle and is under 6500 kg (GVWR) should I worry about getting a ticket if I don't have a sticker? Probably not, unless you're carrying equipment, or pulling a trailer, which could be construed as being used for commercial purposes.

So, what about our Mavericks? According to the above, they shouldn't be classified as commercial vehicles at all since they are less than 4500 kg (GVWR) and, therefore, most certainly don't require any sticker at all (unless they are being used for obvious commercial purposes).

So, as an uncertified, self-proclaimed, internet-educated lawyer, this will be my argument in court if I get a ticket!

 

[PRH]

Thanks Steve for digging into that (glad it wasn't just me that was finding it difficult to find anything out)! When I go to the cottage there's a wee little service Ontario license place - I'll ask just for fun sake. PS I don't think anybody need worry about a ticket as trucks are ubiquitous personal transportation.

 

[avane]

Im in Ontario and I have the front red sticker on my license plate. in the past, all license plate stickers were always placed on the front license for truck license plates

 

[stevhorn]

Im in Ontario and I have the front red sticker on my license plate. in the past, all license plate stickers were always placed on the front license for truck license plates

Just out of curiosity, did you transfer your plate from a previous vehicle, or did the dealer provide you with a new plate? It seems to me, if I have deduced correctly, that the red or white exemption stickers were required before July 1, 2019 and not after. This would explain why some trucks have them and some don't.

 

[avane]

Just out of curiosity, did you transfer your plate from a previous vehicle, or did the dealer provide you with a new plate? It seems to me, if I have deduced correctly, that the red or white exemption stickers were required before July 1, 2019 and not after. This would explain why some trucks have them and some don't.

This was a new plate for me. I took delivery a few weeks ago.

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