Gatineau police ask public to report rule-breakers in licence plate crackdown

Gatineau police are cracking down on Quebec residents with out-of-province plates, and they're asking for help identifying people who may be trying to skirt the rules.

Residents have been asked to submit a report to 311 when someone they know still has an out-of-province licence plate after living in the province for more than 90 days — the cutoff for residents to register their plates with the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).

"We are very happy to have new residents, but we do ask for them to pay their Quebec licence plate," Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said.

If a resident doesn't comply, they could be fined $200 by police. If a person is found guilty, their information could be transferred to Revenue Quebec for further investigation.

Transit funding 

The move comes almost a year after the board of directors for the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) put forward a resolution pushing for a crackdown on out-of-province plates.

A portion of the fee for licence plate renewal in Quebec goes to the public transit service, and new licence plate registration fees that started in January could inject $15 million into the transit system, which has seen ridership and fare revenue plummet since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, Gatineau residents pay $90 each year for vehicle registration.

Ontario scrapped most licence plate renewal fees in 2022, in a move billed by Premier Doug Ford as a way to help Ontarians deal with the rising cost of living. The decision also meant the province would lose roughly $1 billion each year in revenue.

'A matter of equity'

Marquis-Bissonette said the city has seen an increase in out-of-province plates, primarily from Ontario, though the city doesn't have definitive numbers.

She said the lack of numbers is why the city is looking for public help locating those who are skirting the rules.

Drivers with out-of-province plates who are residing in Quebec could be unlawfully skipping out on licence plate fees or paying income tax in the province altogether.

"It's a matter of equity," Marquis-Bissonette said. "There is an obligation for them [Quebec residents] to change their licence plates... to make sure they comply with Quebec laws, but make sure they pay for public services, just like other citizens."

The city did specify that if a person is allowed to have Ontario plates — whether because they aren't living in Quebec or because they have a secondary residence in the province — they will not be required to pay the fine.

Community enforcement

Gatineau resident Charles Nadeau said he would consider calling 311 on a neighbour, once he'd confirmed they weren't following the rules.

"I was living in Ontario as well for a while and when I came back I was like, 'We need to get the Quebec plate right away.'"

According to Gatineau police, asking the public to help report residents breaking the rules could help them find people who have otherwise remained under the radar.

"It's the law," said Patrick Kenney with Gatineau police. "We've been asked by citizens before to take action ... this initiative [will allow us] to have some police officers specifically dedicated to this operation."

Calls to 311 have been limited. Between November 1, 2022 and August 8, 2024, the city phone number only received 68 requests regarding out-of-province licence plates. Without calls from residents, police could struggle to identify rule-breakers.

Some residents, like Andrea Lepine, said even with the push from police, they won't be helping out.

"It's for them to look after their own things," she said. "I won't be the person calling."