Administrative Penalty System (APS) FAQs

About the APS Program

What is Brampton’s Administrative Penalty System (APS)?

The City of Brampton’s Administrative Penalty System (APS) is an approach to dealing with by-law infractions, in a manner that is fair, effective and efficient. This approach has been adopted by numerous municipalities, the province and the federal government and is designed to streamline the enforcement process and increase compliance with the City of Brampton’s by-laws.

The APS program of enforcement transfers parking and other by-law disputes from the courtroom to the municipality through the use of independent Screening and Hearing Review Officers who are able to modify, cancel, or affirm penalties. This approach aids in reducing congestion in the courts as well as providing a more local and accessible dispute resolution system. The phasing in of the new APS program began June 2, 2014.

Why did the City of Brampton move to the new APS program?

The use of the APS program has become a common practice amongst numerous municipalities, the province, the federal government, and in other jurisdictions around the world. In Ontario, the use of municipal APS is legislated under the Municipal Act, 2001.

This measure was introduced to help the over-burdened courts by streamlining the process and allowing municipalities to handle parking by-law infractions as well as other by-law matters. Brampton City Council first adopted the use of APS in February 2013.

How is the new APS program better?

Resolving parking and other by-law infractions could potentially take months in the congested court system. The new APS program helps to speed up the process by resolving parking and other by-law infraction matters in weeks while maintaining an individual’s right to request a review of their Penalty Notice.

The APS Program is more effective because:

Citizens can resolve parking and other by-law matters in a more convenient and citizen-friendly environment;
The City is more capable in dealing with these infractions in a timely manner;
Citizens may request an extension of time in which to request a review by a Screening or Hearing Review Officer;
Citizens may request an extension of time to pay a penalty from a Screening or Hearing Review Officer;
It reduces congestion in provincial courts; and,
Better use of court time and other resources for more serious matters – the APS Program allows the over-burdened provincial courts to address more serious matters such as Highway Traffic Act offences.

About Penalty Notices

What is a Penalty Notice? And what do they look like?

A Penalty Notice is the same as a “ticket” except that it requires payment of a penalty instead of a fine. The Penalty Notice is issued by a Municipal By-Law Enforcement Officer to an individual when they have committed a parking or other by-law infraction.

Do Penalty Notices cost more than traditional fines?

No.

Penalty Notices issued under the City of Brampton APS program do not cost more than traditional fines. However, in certain cases, additional administrative fees may be applied to the original penalty amount.

How are Penalty Notices issued?

City of Brampton Municipal By-Law Enforcement Officers can issue a Penalty Notice through the following methods:

In person
On vehicle
By mail

Note: Parking-related Penalty Notices are generally issued by attaching the notice to the vehicle or by serving the notice directly to the operator.

Are there any additional administrative fees?

Yes.

Under specific circumstances, additional fees are applied to the original penalty due. For instance, additional administrative fees are applied to late payments ($15), the failure to attend a scheduled in person Screening ($50) or Hearing ($100) Review, and to retrieve registered vehicle owner information ($10) from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) in order to communicate with the vehicle or home owner about the Penalty Notice.

What do I do if I have an Accessible Parking Permit and received a Penalty Notice?

There are a few circumstances where a person with a valid Accessible Parking Permit that received a parking Penalty Notice may request the parking penalty be cancelled or voided.

Unless the Penalty Notice is for one of the parking infractions eligible to be cancelled or voided, the person receiving the Penalty Notice is responsible for the parking Penalty Notice and may dispute the Penalty Notice through a Screening Review and/or Hearing Review.

Evidence must be provided to establish that the criteria to cancel or void a Penalty Notice has been met, including:

A valid copy of the Accessible Parking Permit
If the vehicle is not registered to the Accessible Parking Permit holder, an original letter signed by the Accessible Parking Permit holder stating that they were with the registered owner on the date and at the time of infraction

This information must be provided at the time of request to cancel or void a Penalty Notice due to a valid Accessible Parking Permit.

Where do I find my ticket number?

The parking ticket number can be found at the top of the ticket. Only valid City of Brampton parking ticket numbers are accepted online. Valid ticket numbers starting with an alpha character of A, B, C, P, Z or F will be accepted.

I just received a Penalty Notice. What now?

How can I pay a Penalty Notice?

Online (VISA, MasterCard, American Express)
By mail (cheque or money order only)
In person (cash, cheque, debit, VISA, MasterCard, American Express)
Using the automated touch-tone system at 905.874.2404

What are my options when a Penalty Notice is issued?

Pay the Penalty Notice; or
Request an online or in person review by a Screening Officer.

Can I authorize someone else to act on my behalf?

Anyone can make payment on your behalf as long as they have:

For parking violations (tickets starting with a C, A, P and F) – the Penalty Notice number and licence plate number
For by-law infractions (tickets starting with N) – the Penalty Notice number and the property or business owner information

The registered owner of the vehicle or the person named in the Penalty Notice can request a Screening or Hearing Review and attend the in person or virtual scheduled Screening or Hearing Review appointment. They can also have someone attend on their behalf for example: a paralegal, the tenant for property infractions, or a relative with written permission to attend on their behalf.

An authorized representative (witness) may also attend an in person Screening or Hearing Review provided that they are authorized by the registered owner of the vehicle or the person named in the Penalty Notice.

What happens if I do nothing and ignore the Penalty Notice?

Failure to pay a Penalty Notice results in additional administrative fees. In addition, parking penalties will be sent to the Ontario Registrar of Motor Vehicles who will deny the renewal of existing, or the issuance of new vehicle licence plates. For non-parking parking penalties matters are referred to Collections.

How can I request a review of my Penalty Notice?

The registered owner of the vehicle or the person named in the Penalty Notice may submit an initial online Screening Review of the Penalty Notice at www.brampton.ca/courtservices. Your written submissions will be reviewed by a Screening Review Officer, and the officer’s decision will be emailed to you. If you are unable to submit an on-line request, you can also request an in person Screening Review by calling Brampton 311 or calling 905.874.2000 and speaking to a customer service representative or Attend in person to schedule a Screening Review at:

Ontario Court of Justice, Provincial Offences Office, 5 Ray Lawson Blvd., Brampton Ontario

Southwest corner of Hurontario (Hwy 10) and Ray Lawson Blvd.
Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Type of screening that can be requested:

Online written screening at www.brampton.ca/courtservices
In-person screening at the City of Brampton’s POA court facility

What if I am not satisfied with the result of a Screening?

If required, the matter is still in dispute following the review by the Screening Officer, you may request a review by a Hearing Officer by visiting www.brampton.ca/courtservices or contacting the City of Brampton’s POA Court at 905.450.4770. A request must be made within fifteen (15) calendar days following the receipt of the Screening Officer’s decision. It is important to note that you may only dispute the Screening Officer's decision and that only the information/evidence submitted at the Screening will be considered at the Hearing Review.

What if I don’t attend a scheduled in-person or virtual Screening or Hearing Review?

The Penalty Notice amount will be affirmed, and the registered owner of the vehicle or the person named in the Penalty Notice will be assessed a Failure to Appear fee of $50 for a Screening or $100 for a Hearing.

Does it cost anything to request a Screening or Hearing?

No.

However, there is a $10 administrative fee that is added to the penalty to obtain registered owner’s information after the 15 day period expires.

When and where are Screening and Hearing Reviews held?

Screening Reviews can be completed by submitting an online request. If you choose to request an in-person screening appointment, these appointments are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. All Hearing Reviews are conducted virtually via Teams or in person on Thursdays and Fridays at the City of Brampton POA court facility, Ontario Court of Justice, Provincial Offences Office - 5 Ray Lawson Blvd. (Southwest corner of Hurontario (Hwy 10) and Ray Lawson Blvd.)

What if I missed the deadline to schedule a Screening?

You may request an extension in time to schedule a Screening. The request must be made within 30 days of the Penalty Notice being issued. The decision to grant an extension in time may or may not be approved by the Screening Officer.

I am getting an error message "Page has Expired".

This means the computer you were using was idle for too long. You will need to close this window and begin again from the parking ticket payment page of the website (brampton.ca).

I am getting a message "Ticket does not have any money owing".

There is no money owing on this ticket. For additional information, please contact the City by dialing 311 (or 905.874.2000) and speak with a customer service agent.

I am getting a message "Ticket not found. Please verify the ticket number and try again or contact the City for assistance".

There are two possible reasons for this message.

Handwritten parking tickets can take five to seven business days from the issue date to appear in our system before the option to pay or dispute is available. Please check the system regularly to make sure you pay or dispute your ticket by the due date.
The ticket number being entered is incorrect. Please verify the ticket number and try again. If still unsuccessful, please contact the City by dialing 311 (or 905.874.2000) and a customer service agent can assist you.

I am getting a message "We are unable to accept payment for ticket. Please contact the City for details."

It is possible that the parking ticket being paid has been outstanding for 75 days or longer. If this is the case the ticket must be paid through Service Ontario. Please contact the City by dialing 311 (or 905.874.2000) and a customer service agent can discuss the status of the parking ticket with you and advise the steps necessary for payment.

Why is the total amount payable more than my ticket fine?

Additional charges (such as administrative fees, late fees, etc) may have been applied if the parking ticket has been outstanding for some time. In addition, when paying online a processing fee of $1.50 per ticket will be added to the total. If you require further clarification, please contact the City by dialing 311 (or 905.874.2000) and a customer service agent can assist with your questions.

Will I be issued a receipt?

Yes. Once your credit card payment has been successfully processed, a screen with the payment details along with a receipt number will be displayed. Click on the “Print Receipt” button at the bottom of the screen to print a copy for your records.

I lost my ticket, can I search for the ticket number using my license plate number?

No. Due to privacy concerns this functionality is not available online. Please contact the City by dialing 311 (or 905.874.2000) and a customer service agent can look up your ticket number for you.

I paid for my ticket online, why did I receive a notice for an outstanding balance in the mail?

The payment for the ticket may have been received after the notice of outstanding balance was mailed. For verification of ticket payment, please contact the City by dialing 311 (or 905.874.2000) and speak with a customer service agent.

How do I re-schedule a Screening or Hearing Appointment?

You must make a request to re-schedule your screening appointment by contacting 3-1-1 or 905.874.2000 (for non-Brampton residents). You must make your request three (3) business days in advance of your scheduled appointment.

You may request to re-schedule your hearing appointment by contacting the Provincial Offences Office at 905.450.4770. You must make your request three (3) business days in advance of your scheduled appointment.

Why am I unable to access the online dispute function?

If you are looking to book a Screening/Hearing Review and the tab to select is unavailable or you receive the following notice “Outside of Screening/Hearing Review Eligibility”, this means that you no longer have the option to dispute the Penalty Notice by scheduling a Screening or Hearing Review, and the next step would be to pay the Penalty Notice.

Note:

You have up to 15 days from the time a Penalty Notice is issued to you, to dispute it by requesting an online Screening Review. You can schedule an online Screening Review by accessing the portal.
If you disagree with the Screening Officer’s decision, you have up to 15 days after the decision, to schedule a virtual Hearing Review to dispute the Screening Review. The Hearing Officer’s decision, following the Hearing Review is final.

Why do I see the Notice Outside of Screening/Hearing Review Eligibility?

This means that you no longer have the option to dispute the Penalty Notice by scheduling a Screening or Hearing Review, and the next step would be to pay the Penalty Notice.

What if I receive a Request for Information email after submitting an online request?

The Screening Officer requires further details to make a decision and will indicate in the email what documents they are seeking. You have ten (10) business days to respond. If you do not provide the requested documents, the Screening Officer will make a decision based on the evidence they have before them. No further extensions will be permitted to provide the information.

What if I can’t find the Teams link for my virtual appointment?

You can contact the Provincial Offences Office at 905.450.4770 to advise them of the issue.

What if I experience technical issues during my virtual appointment?

You can contact the Provincial Offences Office at 905.450.4770 to advise them of the issue.

What If I want to submit a complaint respecting administration of the APS Program?

To submit a complaint respecting administration of the APS Program, please see Public Complaints Respecting Administration of the APS Program.