Ontario Speeding Tickets and Camera Laws: Fines, Demerit Points, and the Photo Radar Repeal

Ontario speeding tickets run on a two number system that most drivers never see explained: the Highway Traffic Act sets a statutory maximum penalty per kilometre over the limit, but the set fine a driver can actually pay without going to court, under Ontario Court of Justice Schedule 43, is lower, and Ontario's automated speed camera program was repealed province wide on November 14, 2025, while red light cameras continue to operate under a separate, unaffected part of the Act.

Information last verified on 2026-09-24. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This article addresses speeding tickets and camera enforcement in Ontario under the provincial Highway Traffic Act, RSO 1990, c. H.8, and its regulations. It does not address speeding law in any other Canadian province; see Traffic Tickets and Road Rules Across Canada for the national picture, or Distracted Driving Laws Across Canada for a province by province comparison of a different offence. It also does not cover Ontario's stunt driving offence in detail; see Ontario Stunt Driving Laws for that, and it does not repeat the demerit point suspension mechanics covered on Ontario Demerit Points.

Ontario's Speed Limits

Highway Traffic Act s.128(1) sets the default limits that apply unless a different limit is posted. The statute states:

"No person shall drive a motor vehicle at a rate of speed greater than, (a) 50 kilometres per hour on a highway within a local municipality or within a built-up area; ... (b.1) 80 kilometres per hour on a highway not within a local municipality or within a built-up area." (Highway Traffic Act, RSO 1990, c. H.8, s.128(1))

These are the defaults only. A municipality can post a different limit on a specific highway under s.128(2), so the sign on the road controls over the statutory default whenever the two differ.

The Statutory Maximum Fine vs. the Set Fine You Actually Pay

This is the detail most explainers flatten into one number, and it is not one number. Highway Traffic Act s.128(14) sets the maximum a court is allowed to impose for a speeding conviction:

"(a) is less than 20 kilometres per hour over the speed limit, to a fine of $3 for each kilometre per hour ... (b) is 20 ... but less than 30 ..., $4.50 ... (c) 30 ... but less than 50 ..., $7 ... (d) 50 ... or more ..., $9.75 ..." (Highway Traffic Act, s.128(14))

That maximum doubles in a construction zone with a worker present under s.128(14.1), and in a community safety zone under s.214.1.

The number a driver actually sees on the ticket, and can pay without a court date, is the set fine under Ontario Court of Justice Schedule 43 (last updated January 22, 2026), and it is lower than the statutory maximum:

A construction zone with no worker present uses the same rates as an ordinary highway (Schedule E); a construction zone with a worker present uses the same doubled rates as a community safety zone (Schedule F).

At 50 km/h or more over the limit, there is no set fine at all; the driver must appear in court. That threshold also lines up with s.128(15), which lets a court suspend a driver's licence at that level for up to 30 days on a first conviction, up to 60 days on a second, and up to 1 year on a third or later.

What You Actually Pay: Total Payable With Surcharge and Costs

The set fine is not the final number on the bill. Ontario Court of Justice guidance states plainly:

"The total payable on your ticket is the set fine, plus $5.00 costs, plus the applicable surcharge amount. The surcharge amount is set out in O. Reg. 161/00: Victim Fine Surcharges."

The surcharge scales with the set fine amount, under O. Reg. 161/00:

Worked example: a driver caught 20 km/h over the limit on an ordinary highway owes a $75 set fine (20 times $3.75). That falls in the $51 to $75 surcharge band, adding $15, plus $5.00 costs, for a total payable of $95.

Demerit Points for Speeding

Demerit points for a speeding conviction come from O. Reg. 339/94's Table, and they step up in bands:

"4a ... where the rate of speed is exceeded by 50 km/h or more. 6 ... 4b ... exceeded by 30 km/h or more and less than 50 km/h. 4 ... 4c ... exceeded by more than 15 km/h and less than 30 km/h. 3" (O. Reg. 339/94, Table)

That leaves a gap most explainers miss: the Table has no entry for speeding by 15 km/h or less over the limit. A driver caught in that range pays the fine described above but earns zero demerit points. For what accumulated points do to a licence, see Ontario Demerit Points, which covers the suspension mechanics this article does not repeat.

When Speeding Becomes a Stunt Driving Charge

Speeding can convert into a much more serious stunt or street racing charge under O. Reg. 455/07, with its own $2,000 to $10,000 fine range under Highway Traffic Act s.172(2), licence suspension, and vehicle impoundment. The conversion thresholds are 40 km/h or more over the limit where the posted limit is under 80 km/h, 50 km/h or more over where the posted limit is 80 km/h or higher, or 150 km/h outright regardless of the posted limit. This article does not repeat those penalty mechanics; see Ontario Stunt Driving Laws for the full picture.

Ontario's Automated Speed Enforcement (Photo Radar) Is Repealed

This is the most important currency point for anyone researching Ontario speed cameras: as of today, Ontario has no automated speed enforcement program in law. The Highway Traffic Act's own amendment history confirms the repeal directly:

"Part xiv.1 (s. 205.1-205.14) Repealed: 2025, c. 11, Sched. 5, s. 5." (Highway Traffic Act, Section Amendments with date in force, effective 14/11/2025)

The regulation that had enabled the program, O. Reg. 398/19, was itself revoked shortly after. Its own metadata states:

"This Regulation was revoked on December 12, 2025. (See: O. Reg. 306/25, s. 1)"

A ticket issued by a photo radar camera before the program ended remained valid and still had to be paid; the City of Guelph, relaying the Ontario Court of Justice, told residents that "fines must be paid for any speeding tickets issued through the program." The repeal only stops new tickets from being issued going forward. Any article, including older ones on this or any other site, that describes Ontario speed cameras as an active enforcement tool is describing a program that no longer exists.

Red Light Cameras: Still Operating, Owner Liability, No Demerit Points

Red light cameras are a legally separate program from photo radar, and the 2025 repeal did not touch them. They operate under Highway Traffic Act Part XIV.2 (ss. 205.15 to 205.25), which the Act's amendment history shows carries no repeal note.

The camera-specific feature of this Part is that it lets a municipality convict the registered owner of a vehicle without identifying who was driving:

"The owner of a motor vehicle shall not be charged as an owner with an offence under subsection 144 (18) unless the evidence of the offence is obtained through the use of a red light camera system." (Highway Traffic Act, s.207(8))

That owner conviction does not carry demerit points. Section 205.24 limits the penalty an owner faces to exclude licence suspension for default and imprisonment, and O. Reg. 339/94's demerit point Table has no item tied to a camera based owner conviction, since demerit points attach to a driver's licence record and a camera based owner conviction does not identify a driver.

How a red light camera ticket is disputed depends on how the municipality processes it. Where the municipality files a certificate of offence, the owner pleads not guilty and requests a trial through the standard Provincial Offences Act process, and the officer's certified statements about the camera evidence are admissible without the officer testifying unless a summons compelling their attendance is issued for trial, under ss. 205.16 to 205.21. Where the municipality uses administrative penalties under O. Reg. 355/22, which covers red light camera contraventions of s.144(18) detected under Part XIV.2, there is no court trial: the owner appeals the penalty first to a screening officer and then, if needed, to a hearing officer. Municipalities operating red light cameras must publish camera locations and post required signage under s.206.3(3).

CURRENCY WATCH: a separate provision, s.206.5, will ban a municipality's camera vendor contract from paying the vendor per ticket or as a revenue share. It is not yet in force; it takes effect January 1, 2027.

Disputing a Speeding or Camera Ticket

For an officer-issued speeding ticket, a driver who wants to contest it pleads not guilty and requests a trial rather than paying the set fine, following the standard Provincial Offences Act process. For a red light camera ticket, the route depends on the municipality: a not guilty plea and trial request where a certificate of offence was filed, or a screening and hearing officer review where the municipality uses administrative penalties, as described above. For the general step by step process across Canada, including what a trial actually involves, see Fighting a Traffic Ticket in Canada. For how Ontario's automated enforcement compares with other provinces, including where photo radar and red light cameras are authorized but not yet operating, see Photo Radar and Red Light Cameras Across Canada.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about speeding tickets and camera enforcement in Ontario under the Highway Traffic Act, RSO 1990, c. H.8, and its regulations, current as of September 2026. It is not legal advice. It does not cover municipal by-law speed zones, which vary by city, or the specific dollar amount of a current red light camera fine, which was not independently confirmed against the Ontario Court of Justice set fine schedule for this article. Consult a lawyer licensed in Ontario, or Ontario Court of Justice resources directly, for advice on a specific ticket.