Ottawa rolling out new system to deal with parking ticket disputes. Here’s what you need to know

A parking ticket is seen on the windshield of a car in Ottawa, Ont. (CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa motorists soon won’t have to go to court to fight their parking tickets, as the city proceeds with a new system to deal with ticket disputes.

The City of Ottawa will be rolling out its new administrative penalty system in June to manage and adjudicate parking ticket infractions, with plans to extend it to photo radar and red-light camera tickets in the future.

Screening and hearing officers appointed by the City of Ottawa will deal with ticket disputes.

Under the system, drivers who receive a parking ticket can either pay the fine or request a review by the screening officer. Following the decision by the screening officer, the offender can request a review by a hearing officer.

CTV News Ottawa looks at what you need to know about the administrative penalty system.

What is the administrative penalty system?

The City of Ottawa says the administrative penalty system (APS) changes how “certain bylaw violations are handled.”

“APS allows the City to manage the ticket review process independently without relying on the Provincial Offences Court.”

What is the difference between the administrative penalty system and the Provincial Offences Act?

Under the current Provincial Offences Act, parking, red light camera and photo radar camera tickets are handled in provincial courts. Provincial judges and staff manage the dispute process, and the city says there are “long wait times” for ticket reviews.

Under the APS, tickets will be handled by screening officers and hearing officers employed by the City of Ottawa. The city says the new system will be “faster, more flexible scheduling.”

According to the city, the administrative penalty system will reduce the delays in the provincial court system, speed up ticket reviews and “frees up provincial court time for serious cases.”

A city report last year said the new administrative penalty system will see disputes over tickets heard within a few weeks or months and lower municipal costs by 35 per cent.

How does the system work?

When you receive a parking ticket, you will have two options under the administrative penalty system.

• Pay the ticket online, by mail or at any Client Service Centre or Administrative Penalty System Service Centre
• Request a review of the ticket. Within 15 days of the ticket being issued, the vehicle owner can request a review with a city screening officer by completing a request form.

When you submit a request for review with a city screening officer, the city says you should provide a written explanation and supporting documentation to demonstrate that either the offence was not committed or “they are experiencing undue hardship.”

Screening Review

The screening review will be conducted by screening officers employed by the City of Ottawa.

“(They) have been carefully trained to conduct the ‘screening’ review of the penalty by following standardized, consistent, and pre-established criteria in keeping with the bylaw that governs the APS program,” the city says.

The screening officer has the authority to uphold, reduce, extend the time to pay the ticket, or cancel the penalty based.

“This decision will be informed by the backup documentation from both the vehicle owner and the Parking Enforcement Officer,” the city says.

Final review by a hearing officer

The city says if a vehicle owner disagrees with the decision by the screening officer, you may request a final review with a hearing officer, who is appointed by council. The hearing officer will have “previous experience” in the field of law, adjudication and/or in the interpretation and application of legislation, the city says.

A request for a final review by a hearing officer must be submitted with 15 days of the initial screening review’s decision date.

“An in-person hearing date and time will be issued to the vehicle owner,” the city says on its website.

“The hearing officer’s decision to either uphold the penalty, reduce the penalty, extend the time to pay the penalty, or cancel the penalty is final. Neither the ticket holder nor the city can appeal the decision.”

An in-person hearing will be held at the Provincial Offences Act and Administrative Penalty System Service Centre at the Mary Pitt Centre on Constellation Drive.

Ottawa plans to appoint 10 hearing officers per year, starting in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with a total of 30 hearing officers available five to 10 days per month.