Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket

Introduction

What are my options if I am issued Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket

Paying the Ticketed amount shown on a Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket

• Paying by Mail
• Paying in person

Disputing a Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket

• Disputing the contravention
• Disputing the fine, or requesting time to pay in writing
• How do I file a Notice of Dispute
  • By Mail
  • In Person
• What if I am unable to file my notice of dispute within 30 days?
• What happens after my notice of dispute is filed?
• What if I am unavailable for the hearing date?
• What happends if I do not attend the hearing?
• Prosecutor's attendance

Bilingual Services

Contact Information

• Court Registry
• ICBC

Disclaimer

Introduction

The Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket was introduced in British Columbia law in 2005. The Federal Contraventions Act, by regulation, permits the use of the Province's Offence Act to administer a ticketing system within British Columbia for offences contained in applicable federal law. Partners involved in the administration of the federal contraventions violation ticketing system include Department of Justice (Canada), Ministry of Attorney General, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).

A federal contraventions violation ticket may only be issued for offences listed in the Contraventions Regulation. More than 2,500 federal offences are designated as contraventions. The Regulation may be accessed by visiting the Federal Department of Justice website at: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-38.7/SOR-96-313/text.html

There are a number of different enforcement agencies involved in issuing federal contraventions violation tickets such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, municipal police departments, Environment Canada, Parks Canada, Health Canada, B.C. Conservation Officer Service, Industry Canada and BC Ministry of Health Tobacco Control Program.

What are my options if I am issued a Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket?

If you have been issued a federal contraventions violation ticket, you have 30 days from the date the federal contraventions violation ticket was served on you (that is the date shown on the front of the ticket) to exercise one of the following options:

• Pay the ticketed amount shown on the front of the ticket.
• Plead guilty to the contravention but dispute the ticketed amount or request more time to pay.
• Dispute the contravention.

Note: If you do not pay the ticketed amount or dispute the ticket within 30 days, you will be deemed to have pleaded guilty to the contravention. The full ticketed amount becomes due and payable immediately.

Paying the Ticket amount shown on a Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket

Paying the ticketed amount, in full or in part, is considered to be a guilty plea to the contravention described on the front of the ticket. Payment may be made by mail or in person.

Note: The ticketed amount is comprised of a fine plus a 15 percent victim surcharge.

Paying by mail:

You may send your cheque or money order in Canadian funds, payable to ICBC, to:

Revenue Administration
Bag 3505
Victoria BC V8W 3N9

Do not send cash in the mail. A receipt will not be issued. NSF cheques will be subject to administrative charges.

To ensure the payment you are submitting is credited to the correct ticket, you must include with your payment either a copy of the front of the ticket or a note providing the following information:

• the federal contraventions violation ticket number (located on the top right corner on the front of the ticket starting with the prefix “FC”);
• your full name, address, driver's licence number and date of birth; and
• the violation date, plus the title of the act and the section number corresponding to the contravention as shown on the front of the ticket.

Paying in person:

You may pay the ticketed amount at any of the following locations:

• Driver Services Centre
• Autoplan Broker
• Government Agents office
• Court registry (you must bring a copy of the ticket with you).

Please bring a copy of your federal contraventions violation ticket or have the ticket number with you when paying. Payments may be made by cash, cheque, debit card or money order. Most Driver Services Centres and Autoplan brokers also accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express.

Disputing a Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket

If you do not agree that you committed the contravention for which you have been charged you can dispute the contravention.

However, if you agree that you committed the contravention but wish to seek a reduction of the fine, then you may dispute the fine portion of the ticketed amount.

Thus, it is important to indicate on your Notice of Dispute the type of dispute you wish to file.

You may enter your dispute by filing the Notice of Dispute form you received with your ticket. Please note that the Notice of Dispute that accompanies your ticket bears the same identification number and is sufficient for registering your dispute when it is completed.

If you did not receive a Notice of Dispute or if you are unable to locate it you may download a generic bilingual copy of a Notice of Dispute form from this website or obtain a copy from your nearest court registry or any ICBC agent .

If you use a generic bilingual Notice of Dispute you must also file a copy of the front of your Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket. Such information is important for the process — without it, your notice may not be filed and you may be deemed to have pleaded guilty to the contravention.

DO NOT include evidence such as videos or pictures with your notice.

Disputes relating to federal contraventions violation tickets are heard by Provincial Court Judges. You may request in your Notice of Dispute your dispute hearing to be heard or tried in English or French (i.e. before a judge and a prosecutor that speak the official language of your choice).

Disputed the contravention

If you are disputing the contravention, complete the Notice of Dispute in the official language of your choice and check the box stating that you are disputing the contravention.

If you are disputing the fine amount, complete the Notice of Dispute in the official language of your choice and check the box stating that you agree you have committed the contravention but that you are disputing the fine.

Checking a box identifying the official language of your choice (English or French) determines the official language you want your hearing to be held.

Disputing the fne, or requesting time to pay in writing

If you wish to dispute only the fine amount or request time to pay, and you do not wish to appear in court, you must file along with your Notice of Dispute, a Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket Statement and Written Reasons form, in which you will provide in English or French your reasons for requesting a reduction in the fine or time to pay.

Your Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket Statement and Written Reasons, together with any Crown counsel's opposing written statement, will be considered by a Provincial Court judge and you will be notified of the outcome by mail.

How do I file a Notice of Dispute:

By Mail:

Mail your Notice of Dispute to:

Ticket Dispute Processing
Bag 3510
Victoria BC V8W 3P7

In Person :

You, or someone on your behalf, may register your dispute in person, at any court registry, Driver Services Centre or Government Agent's Office . You or the person acting on your behalf must bring along your copy of the federal contraventions violation ticket.

What if I am unable to file my notice of dispute within 30 days?

If you are unable to file a notice of dispute within 30 days, you must bring a copy of your federal contraventions violation ticket to any court registry to file an affidavit requesting an extension of time. An affidavit form is available at any court registry or may be downloaded from this website.

Affidavits can be notarized by any Commissioner for Taking Oaths, such as a Notary Public, or at a court registry for a $15 fee. Contact your nearest court registry for more information.

If your request for an extension of time to dispute is granted, your deemed conviction will be overturned, the court registry will allow you to file a Notice of Dispute and set a date for your court hearing. If your request is denied, your deemed conviction will stand, and the ticketed amount is due and payable immediately.

What happens after my notice of dispute is filed?

You will receive a Notice of Hearing in the mail from the court registry, advising you of the date, time and location of your hearing date.

What if I am unavailable for the hearing date?

If you have a reason for not being able to appear on your hearing date, you may request, an adjournment of the hearing date without having to appear in court. Preferably your request should be made at the court location where the hearing is to be held, however, your request may also be submitted in writing or by fax.

If you have a French hearing scheduled and you wish to make an application for an adjournment, call toll free the bilingual Court Services Branch Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket Information Line at 1-888-775-3530. Please note missed calls may not be returned until the next business day.

What happens if I do not attend the hearing?

If you do not appear in court on the hearing date, the federal contraventions violation ticket will be treated as not disputed, and you will be deemed guilty. The full ticketed amount will become due and payable immediately.

If, through no fault of your own, you were unable to attend the original hearing date, you may file an affidavit in English or French requesting a new hearing date. For further information, contact your nearest court registry.

Prosecutor's attendance

On the hearing date, Crown counsel may appear and prosecute the case by video conference, telephone or in person. The officer who served the ticket may also attend.

Bilingual Services

For more information concerning the above, you may call, toll free, the bilingual Court Services Branch Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket Information Line at 1-888-775-3530. Missed calls will be returned within one business day.

If you have any concerns with the French or English service provided by the Victoria or New Westminster bilingual court registries, you may write Court Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General, PO Box 9249 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria , B.C., V8W 9J2 or e-mail  AGCSBWEBMAIL@gov.bc.ca.

Contact Information

Court Registry Contact Information:

For further information on paying or disputing a federal contraventions violation ticket, please contact your nearest court registry. Look in the blue pages of your phone directory, under Province of British Columbia .

If the registry is out of your local calling area, you may phone the court registry through Enquiry BC:

Enquiry BC hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday to Friday.

If you wish bilingual telephone service you may call the Court Services Branch Federal Contraventions Violation Ticket Information Line toll free at 1-888-775-3530. Calls will be returned within one business day.

ICBC Contact Information:

ICBC General Inquiries (Customer Contact) phone:

Disclaimer

The information contained on this website is intended as a guide only, to help you understand some of the laws regarding federal contraventions violation tickets. It is not intended as a substitute for the Acts and/or Regulations. In the event of a conflict or discrepancy between the information contained on this website and the applicable Acts and/or Regulations, the Acts and/or Regulations shall prevail. Also, the information is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any legal questions, you should speak with a lawyer.