Like all governments, the province of Ontario requires car owners to have license plates with current registration tags. The plates need to be renewed on a yearly basis, with the Ministry of Transportation mailing renewal forms to car owners approximately 60 days before the registration tags expire. Car owners also have several types of plates to choose from.
For a plate to be valid in Ontario, it must have a validation sticker affixed to the upper right-hand corner. The validation stickers are renewed every year, and when you renew the plate, you must have the following items: the renewal application, vehicle permit, proof of insurance, the renewal fee, a report stating that your vehicle passed an emissions test, and odometer information. You can renew the plates through the mail, online, at a license issuing office or at a Service Ontario Kiosk.
Drivers in Ontario have the ability to buy personalized plates. These plates allow drivers to express themselves with a short message on the plate. The Ministry of Transportation can reject your request if it's found to be objectionable in the following categories: sexual, abusive or obscene language, religion, drugs and alcohol, political figures, violence and criminal activity, human rights discrimination and intellectual property. There are graphic plates featuring things such as Ontario sports teams, charities, universities and professions. If you're a collector of license plates, you can also buy a sample plate (these are for display only, and are not legal for use on a vehicle).
Classic car owners can get Year of Manufacture (YOM) plates. YOM plates must be used for a vehicle that is at least 30 years old and is "substantially unchanged or unmodified from the original manufacturer's product." The plates need to be manufactured in Ontario and will be authenticated by comparing the plate with an original sample to make sure that the YOM plate matches the original plate.
