Hamilton
How do red light camera tickets and parking penalties work in Hamilton?
Last updated October 8, 2026.
In Hamilton, a red light camera ticket is mailed to the vehicle's registered plate holder and is handled as a provincial offence through the City's court at 50 Main Street East; the City lists the total at $325. Hamilton stopped using speed cameras on November 14, 2025, when the province repealed the program, though older speed camera tickets must still be paid. Parking tickets are different: they are City penalty notices with 15 days to pay or ask for a review.
Each of these systems has its own deadlines and its own office, and none of them works quite like a ticket handed to you by a police officer. For police tickets and trials, see how Hamilton's Provincial Offences Court works. For the other local forums, start at our guide to Hamilton's courts and tribunals. Our page on help with provincial offences covers the provincial rules.
How does a Hamilton red light camera ticket work, step by step?
- The camera photographs the vehicle. The City says its cameras photograph only vehicles that enter the intersection after the light turns red; drivers who entered on green or amber, or who were already waiting to turn when the light changed, are not red light runners.
- An officer reviews the photo. The City installs and operates the cameras, but tickets are processed by the Joint Processing Centre run by the City of Toronto. Provincial offences officers review every picture and mail a ticket only where it is clear the vehicle ran the red light.
- The ticket goes to the plate holder. The registered licence plate holder receives the ticket, regardless of who was driving, and the City says tickets are typically mailed within four weeks of the offence. The charge is laid against the owner under section 144(18.1) of the Highway Traffic Act, which section 144(18.3) treats as a charge under the red light rule in section 144(18).
- You choose an option. The same three options as any Part I ticket apply: pay, request an early resolution meeting, or ask for a trial, through Hamilton's Provincial Offences Administration office. Camera tickets cannot proceed by summons (s. 205.17(1)).
- If you pay, the file closes. The City lists Paytickets.ca for red light camera tickets, with a $3 convenience fee, or you can pay by phone, mail or in person at Room 110, 50 Main Street East. For questions, the City gives the court's number, 905-540-5592.
| Question | Red light camera ticket | Speed camera ticket | Parking penalty notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status in Hamilton | In use | Not used since November 14, 2025; earlier tickets still payable | In use |
| Who gets it | Registered plate holder | Registered owner | Vehicle owner (plate holder) |
| Law | Highway Traffic Act, s. 144(18.1) and Part XIV.2 | Former Part XIV.1, repealed | Administrative Penalty By-law 17-225 |
| Amount | $260 fine plus $60 surcharge and $5 costs: $325 | As shown on the ticket | As shown on the notice, plus fees if late |
| Where it is decided | Provincial offences court, 50 Main Street East | Provincial offences court | City screening officer, then hearing officer |
| Deadline to act | 15 days to choose an option | As on the ticket | 15 days to pay or request a review |
| Contact | 905-540-5592 | 905-540-5592 | 905-540-6000 |
What special rules apply to a camera ticket?
Part XIV.2 of the Highway Traffic Act sets out how red light camera evidence works. A certified photograph is received in evidence and, without evidence to the contrary, proves that the vehicle did not stop and went before the light turned green (s. 205.15). The officer who reviewed the photo and issued the ticket does not have to testify unless a summons is issued at trial, and a justice will issue one only if satisfied you cannot have a fair trial without that evidence (s. 205.20). If you plead not guilty, you cannot be convicted on the photograph unless it is tendered at trial (s. 205.15(5)).
The penalties are also narrower than for a driver. An owner convicted on camera evidence is not liable to a driver's licence suspension for not paying the fine, or to imprisonment or probation (s. 205.24(1)). The Ontario Court of Justice's set fine for the owner offence is $260 (Schedule 43, item 413.2). Hamilton's page says the three demerit points for failing to stop at a red light apply where a police officer issues the ticket; a camera ticket is issued to the owner. Unpaid camera fines still matter: the province says outstanding red light camera fines must be paid when you renew your licence plate.
The owner also has a defence that a driver does not: section 207(1) of the Act says an owner is not liable if, at the time, the vehicle was in the possession of someone else without the owner's consent. A borrowed car is not that defence if you lent it.
What happened to Hamilton's speed cameras?
Hamilton began issuing automated speed enforcement tickets on October 1, 2020 as a pilot in school zones and community safety zones, with tickets going to the registered owner and no demerit points. The province ended that program. The Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 (S.O. 2025, c. 11) received Royal Assent on November 3, 2025, and Schedule 5 repealed Part XIV.1 of the Highway Traffic Act (sections 205.1 to 205.14), the part that authorized automated speed enforcement. Schedule 5 came into force on the later of November 14, 2025 and Royal Assent, which makes the date November 14, 2025. The current e-Laws consolidation (currency date October 5, 2026) shows Part XIV.1 as repealed.
Hamilton's roadway safety page says the same thing in plain terms: as of November 14, 2025, its speed cameras are no longer used, and tickets for violations that happened before that date remain valid and still must be paid. Speeding is still enforced by police, and the fines are covered in our page on speeding fines and community safety zones.
How do Hamilton parking tickets work?
A Hamilton parking ticket is a Penalty Notice under the City's Administrative Penalty By-law 17-225. The City has issued Penalty Notices for all parking offences since August 2015, replacing the old Parking Infraction Notice. These are not decided in the provincial offences court.
- You have 15 days to pay or request a review. Pay online (a $1.75 fee per transaction), in person at any Municipal Service Centre, or by mailed cheque to the address on the ticket. Paytickets.ca is not for parking tickets.
- Screening review. Request it by email or by calling 905-540-6000. A screening officer may affirm, reduce or cancel the penalty, or give you more time to pay.
- Hearing review. You have 15 days from the screening to request an appointment with a hearing officer, who may affirm, reduce or cancel the screening decision. The City says the hearing officer's decision is final and binding, with no further appeal.
- If you do nothing, fees are added and the ticket can block your plate sticker renewal.
| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Registered owner search fee | $31 | Not paid or disputed within 15 days and a second notice is needed |
| Late payment fee | $47 | Not paid or disputed within 45 days of issue |
| Fail to attend hearing | $136 | You booked a hearing and did not attend |
| Plate denial fee | $16 | Penalty confirmed and unpaid within 75 days of issue |
The City sends outstanding parking tickets to the Ministry of Transportation, which may add fees, and you cannot renew or get a new plate validation sticker until they are paid. The City also reminds drivers that it is your legal responsibility to keep your address current with the Ministry so the notices reach you.
What about other City by-law penalties?
Hamilton also uses its Administrative Penalty System for some non-parking by-laws, including business licensing, municipal by-laws, animal ownership and wildlife. The City says screening and hearing officers can modify, cancel or affirm penalties, and can extend the time to request a review or to pay. Payment is due within 15 days (a late fee applies after 15 days, and another after 30), and unpaid Administrative Penalty Notices may go to a collection agency 60 days after issue. The contact line is 905-546-2489. The $400 administrative penalty for renovating without a licence is one example of a City penalty outside the parking system; see Hamilton's renovation licence by-law.
What changes the answer?
- Who was driving. For a camera ticket it does not matter, unless the car was taken without your consent (HTA s. 207(1)). A police-issued red light ticket goes to the driver and brings demerit points; see how demerit points work.
- When the speed camera offence happened. Before November 14, 2025, the ticket stands and must be paid; on or after that date, Hamilton says its cameras were not in use.
- Whether you missed the 15 days. For a camera ticket, you are deemed not to dispute and the clerk can convict without a hearing (Provincial Offences Act, s. 9). For parking, fees start to stack.
- Whether a fine is in default. Unpaid provincial offence fines bring collection steps and plate renewal problems; see what happens if a traffic fine goes unpaid.
- Whether you want to talk to the prosecutor first. A camera ticket can go to an early resolution meeting like any Part I ticket; see what happens at an early resolution meeting.
A worked example
For example, imagine a Hamilton resident named Priti whose car is registered in her name but driven mostly by her adult son. Three weeks after he drives through an intersection on Main Street, a red light camera ticket arrives addressed to her. A week later, she also finds a parking penalty notice on the car from a downtown street.
For the camera ticket, Priti looks at the photographs and the offence notice. Her son had the car with her consent, so the section 207(1) defence does not fit. She decides whether to pay the $325 through the City's options, or to request an early resolution meeting or trial within 15 days if she thinks the photo does not show the vehicle entering on red. Under section 205.24, non-payment would not suspend her driver's licence, but it would block her plate renewal.
For the parking notice, she believes the sign was hidden by a delivery truck, so she emails a screening request within 15 days with photos. If the screening officer affirms the penalty, she has 15 days to book a hearing officer, whose decision is final. These facts are invented to show the steps; no result is suggested.
What mistakes do people make with these tickets?
- Assuming a mailed ticket is a scam. Camera tickets are mailed, typically within four weeks. What the City warns about is text messages: it does not text about parking tickets, and the court office does not send texts.
- Paying a parking ticket on Paytickets.ca. That site is for provincial offences, red light camera and speed camera tickets, not parking.
- Ignoring an old speed camera ticket. Tickets for offences before November 14, 2025 remain valid.
- Booking a parking hearing and not going. That adds a $136 fee, and the hearing officer's decision is final either way.
- Moving without updating your address. Notices go to the address on your ownership record, and late fees follow missed notices.
What to do this week
- Identify which kind of ticket you have: camera offence notice, parking penalty notice, or administrative penalty notice.
- Count 15 days from the date on it.
- For a camera ticket, look at the photos and decide whether the vehicle entered on red and whether you consented to the driver using it.
- For a parking notice, gather photos of signs, meters or receipts and request a screening by email or at 905-540-6000.
- Check that your address with the Ministry of Transportation is current.
- If you have older speed camera tickets, pay or address them before your plate renewal.
- For a police-issued ticket, read our article on whether fighting a traffic ticket is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Hamilton red light camera ticket go on my driving record?
The charge is laid against you as the vehicle's owner, not as the driver. Hamilton's page links the three demerit points to tickets issued by a police officer, and an owner convicted on camera evidence cannot have their licence suspended for not paying (HTA s. 205.24).
Can I make the officer come to my red light camera trial?
Only if a justice issues a summons, and the justice must be satisfied that you cannot have a fair trial without the officer's oral evidence (HTA s. 205.20(3)). Otherwise the certified photograph and certificate are proof unless there is evidence to the contrary.
Are speed cameras coming back to Hamilton?
The provincial authority for them, Part XIV.1 of the Highway Traffic Act, was repealed in force November 14, 2025, and Hamilton says its cameras are no longer used. Any return would need new provincial law.
Can I fight a Hamilton parking ticket in court?
No. Parking penalties under By-law 17-225 are reviewed by a City screening officer and then a hearing officer, and the City says the hearing officer's decision is final and binding.
What happens if I ignore a parking penalty?
The City adds administrative fees at 15, 45 and 75 days and sends the penalty to the Ministry of Transportation. You cannot renew your plate sticker until it is paid.
Who should I call about a camera ticket?
The City directs questions about red light camera tickets to the court at 905-540-5592. Parking questions go to 905-540-6000, and other administrative penalties to 905-546-2489.
Sources
- Roadway Safety Tools: red light cameras and automated speed enforcement (City of Hamilton)
- Parking Penalty Notice: payment, screening, hearing and fees (City of Hamilton)
- Administrative Penalty Notice (City of Hamilton)
- Tickets, Fines and Penalties (City of Hamilton)
- Provincial Offences Notice (City of Hamilton)
- Automated Speed Enforcement pilot launch, September 23, 2020 (City of Hamilton)
- Highway Traffic Act, ss. 144(18) to (18.6), Part XIV.1 (repealed), Part XIV.2 and s. 207 (Ontario e-Laws, currency date October 5, 2026)
- Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025, S.O. 2025, c. 11, Schedule 5 (Ontario e-Laws, source law)
- Set Fines, Schedule 43, Highway Traffic Act, item 413.2 (Ontario Court of Justice)
- Paying defaulted fines and licence plate renewals (ontario.ca)
- Provincial Offences Act, s. 9 (Ontario e-Laws)
Have a question about a Small Claims, Landlord and Tenant Board or provincial offences matter in Hamilton? Contact us today for a consultation.
This page gives general information about Ontario law, not legal advice for your situation. Cheddar Paralegal PC is a paralegal firm licensed by the Law Society of Ontario; licensed paralegals can help only with matters the Law Society allows paralegals to handle.