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JUDGMENT IN MUNICIPAL COURT

Following the hearing, the judge will render a decision. Different judgments are possible.

If the judge finds you not guilty of the offence, you will be acquitted. You will not have to pay anything and your file will be closed.

If the judge finds you guilty of the offence, you will have to pay the fine, the costs set out in the judicial tariff in penal matters and the mandatory contribution to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. The contribution applies only to violations of the Highway Safety Code. You will receive a notice of judgment and you will have 30 days from the judgment to pay the amount due.

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PAYMENT FOLLOWING A JUDGMENT

There are several payment options available to you to pay your ticket. You may also be eligible for a payment arrangement if you are unable to pay the fine and costs in full. If you fail to pay the required amount, enforcement of the judgment can take several forms:

  • Suspension of your right to drive in Quebec;
  • Seizure of movable property;
  • Seizure of immovables;
  • Seizure of wages;
  • Seizure of bank accounts;
  • Application for a warrant to bring you before the tax collector;
  • Application for a prison sentence.

The forced execution of the judgment will entail legal consequences and additional costs (judicial tariff in penal matters). For certain seizures, a notice of execution will be sent to a bailiff and his fees will be charged to you.

Note that a prison sentence will not allow you to pay your fines issued under the Highway Safety Code.  You will serve the number of days related to the amount due. However, when you are released, you will still have to pay your debt. 

It is your responsibility to notify the court of your change of address. 

PAYMENT AGREEMENT

If you are unable to pay your traffic ticket within the prescribed time, you may be eligible for a payment arrangement. 

A payment arrangement will be possible under the following conditions:

  • You have entered a guilty plea;
  • A judgment has been rendered against you;
  • The collector accepts your request.

TRANSMISSION OF YOUR PLEA

Submitting a guilty plea without full payment will add a fee (judicial tariff in penal matters) to your file. You can complete the online plea form or submit the response form that accompanies your report in several ways:

If you submit your plea online, you will also be able to complete the payment agreement portion of the form.

If you are using other than the online submission options, a Notice of Judgment will be mailed to you and you will be required to contact the fine collector within the specified time frame to discuss a payment arrangement and for the fine collector to assess your eligibility. 

Once the agreement is reached, the Collector will send you a copy by email or mail. The agreement will confirm the amounts owing, the method of payment, the time frame and the terms agreed upon.

PAY A PAYMENT AGREEMENT

There are several options available to you for paying your agreement. Please see the Paying for a Finding page for detailed information:

  • Online
  • In person
  • By mail
  • By direct debit from your bank account
SUSPENDED DRIVERS LICENSE

Only full payment will lift the suspension of your right to drive in Quebec. However, a payment agreement is possible even if your driver’s licence is suspended. However, you will not be able to drive and no vehicle registered in your name will be allowed to circulate until all amounts related to the suspension are paid in full. 

Upon full payment of the statement of offence affecting your right to drive in Quebec, a payment notice will be sent to the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ). There is a delay in lifting the suspension and it is your responsibility to check with the SAAQ on the conditions surrounding the lifting of the suspension of your license.

AGREEMENT NOT RESPECTED

If you fail to make your payments, the Collector reserves the right to cancel your agreement and is under no obligation to notify you. The Collector will proceed to enforce the judgment, which will have legal and monetary consequences. 

AGREEMENT TO PERFORM COMPENSATORY WORK

If your situation does not allow you to pay your fine in full or to enter into a payment agreement, an agreement to perform compensatory work may be possible. In order to be eligible for a work agreement, you must meet certain criteria and the collector must analyze your financial situation. For this request, please contact one of our collectors at 819 827-2687, extension 2.

JUDGMENT BY DEFAULT

You were absent at your hearing and a default judgment was rendered against you. If your absence is justified by reasonable cause, you can ask to have the judgment set aside.

A motion to set aside the judgment or a motion for reduction of costs can be presented, according to the following criteria 

  • You have good cause for not attending your hearing; 
  • You did not receive notice of your hearing even though you entered a plea of not guilty;
  • You did not know that a statement of offence had been issued against you.

Your motion must be filed within 15 days of the date you learned of the judgment finding you guilty. If the 15-day period has expired, you may apply to be relieved of the consequences of your delay. You must state the reasons why you were unable to submit your application within the time limit.

The application must be made under oath and filed at the Municipal Court counter to pay the associated fee and to obtain a hearing date. At the hearing date, you must appear before the Judge and explain the reasons for the application. 

APPLICATION TO SET ASIDE A JUDGMENT

You can ask for a retraction of judgment if a judgment was rendered in your absence and you had or wanted to plead not guilty to that offence.

If the judge grants your request, the judgment will be set aside and the parties will be put back to where they were at the beginning. You will be summoned to another hearing to come and present your defence before the judge. If the judge refuses to revoke the judgment, your file remains in its current state and you must pay the amounts owed within the time limit indicated on the notice of judgment.

REQUEST FOR FEE REDUCTION

You have been convicted in absentia and you admit your guilt, but you do not agree with the additional costs of the judgment. You can ask the judge to reduce the costs to the minimum amount set by regulation if he or she is satisfied that, without negligence on your part, you could not have known that you were served with the statement of offence.

REQUEST FOR A STAY OF EXECUTION

The motion to set aside the judgment does not prevent the judgment from being executed. You must therefore apply for a stay of execution of the judgment. The purpose of this motion is to obtain, from the court, a suspension of the effects of the judgment that was rendered against you. This motion must be accompanied by a motion to retract the judgment or a motion to reduce costs.