Do I need to pay an out-of-province speeding ticket? Recently I was
stopped for speeding in Ontario, however I am a Manitoba resident with
a Manitoba driver's license. If I ignore the ticket, will it come back
to haunt me in my home province?

Hi jdcormie,

Yes, you need to pay for that out of province speeding ticket, or it
can (and most likely will) come back to bite you later.

From the Manitoba Department of Transportation and Government
Services:

"If I receive a ticket outside Manitoba will it be placed on my
record? Why can the Division put this on my record?

Upon notification, the Division is legally obligated to show out of
province convictions on your driver record."

Driver and Vehicle Licencing FAQ
http://www.gov.mb.ca/tgs/ddvl/drivers/q_and_a_drv.html#QT2

What this means is that the Province of Ontario will notify the
Province of Manitoba that you have received a speeding ticket.

Depending on how fast you were going at the time, you're also likely
to earn between two and seven points on your license - enough of these
will get you a suspended license, not to mention, your insurance
premiums will increase:

Safe and Legal Driving Practices - Merit Mark and Demerit Point
Programs (Requires Acrobat Reader)
http://www.gov.mb.ca/tgs/ddvl/PDFs/meritmark.pdf

Best to pay the ticket now, than to be pulled over later in your home
province, and let the police tell you that you've got an unpaid ticket
to your credit.  I don't know how they react Up North, but here to the
South a bit, such a discovery is looked upon with disfavor.  (In Ohio,
they take your license on the spot.  Ouch.)

Good luck!

--Missy

Thanks for your answer. I had read that Driver and Vehicle Licencing
FAQ page myself. I think the most interesting part of their answer is:
"*Upon notification* we will put the conviction on your record ..."
The real question is, "Will the Ontario authorities notify the
Manitoba authorities." In your answer, you claim they will, but I
don't see how you reached that conclusion. I guess my real question
is: Does there exist a Manitoba-Ontario reciprocal traffic conviction
notification agreement?

I wouldn't try it. This guy was caught for failing to pay an
out-of-state speeding ticket from 1989!:
<http://www.motorists.com/issues/tickets/members/suspended.html>

Just a thought from a fellow Canuck, jd:

Ticket revenue is important to all the provinces.  Are you willing to
bet a fine and your insurance rates that they're NOT talking to one
another?

-Chromedome

It took my car insurance company over one year to find out about my
out-of-state tickets (2000 miles away) but they didn't mind the
delay...
This is, of course, in the USA. Canada can't be that different right?

I too hold a Manitoba drivers license and received a speeding ticket
in Ontario 2-3 years ago and did not pay it. It has yet to appear on
my Manitoba driving record.

What about Photo Radar?  I received 3 photo radar tickets in 2001
while living in Alberta.  6 months later I moved to Ontario and did
not pay the fines.  (about $600.00 in total).  I now have a Ontario
licence and have no problems yet.  What are your comments on this
situation?

I just got my new license in the mail the other day, and I have the
same number of points as before, so I guess the answer is no -- the
Manitoba authorities never found out about my two Ontario speeding
tickets.

Update: I just ordered my Manitoba driver's abstract, and surprise!
right there were both of my Ontario speeding tickets. It may take a
while, but eventually the two bureaucracies will communicate.

Hi jdcormie,

I'm amazed that it took them so long, in this age of e-mail and
instant communication.

I guess bureaucracy will remain slow, no matter how fast the rest of
the world moves - but it probably helped buy you some time to pay the
fees, no?

-- Missy