Lost, Stolen or Damaged Licence Plate in Ontario? Here’s Exactly What to Do Next

Table of Contents

• Why Number Plate Theft and Loss Happens — and Why It Matters
• Lost License Plate Ontario: Your Step-by-Step Checklist
• Stolen Licence Plate Ontario: What to Do the Moment You Notice
• Damaged License Plate Replacement: What Qualifies and What to Do
• How to Replace a Licence Plate at ServiceOntario (Full Document Checklist)
• Returning Licence Plates Ontario — Situations You May Not Have Considered
• How to Protect Yourself from Number Plate Theft
• Scrapping a Car? Here Is What to Do with Your Plates First
• Frequently Asked Questions

Go directly to a ServiceOntario centre with your ID, vehicle permit, proof of insurance, and a completed replacement declaration form — no police report needed. If your plate was stolen, file a police report first and bring the occurrence number to ServiceOntario. For a damaged license plate replacement, surrender the damaged plate at the ServiceOntario counter. In all three cases, the current licence plate replacement Ontario fee is $59. Do not drive your vehicle until the replacement is in place — operating without a visible plate is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act.

Most people treat a missing or bent plate as a minor inconvenience. In reality, number plate theft is a calculated crime. Thieves steal licence plates to cover their tracks — running red lights, skipping toll payments on the 407, committing fuel theft, or worse, being linked to criminal activity under your registered plate number.

The moment someone else is driving around with your plate, every automated camera, toll gantry, and parking system in Ontario logs those incidents to your vehicle record. Acting fast is the only way to break that chain of liability. If your plate is not promptly reported to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), you may be held responsible for charges accumulated on that plate right up until the moment you formally report it.

Whether it’s lost, stolen, or damaged, Ontario has a clear, well-documented process through ServiceOntario. The key is knowing exactly which path applies to your situation.

Also Read: Why Remove License Plates Before Scrapping a Car in Ontario?

Losing a plate happens more often than people think — it can fall off due to worn-out screws, vibration on rough roads, or a minor fender-bender. Here is exactly what to do:

Step 1 — Check your surroundings first. Before assuming the worst, retrace where you parked and check nearby gutters or roads. A plate can fall face-down and be hard to spot.

Step 2 — File a report (even for lost plates). While police information is not strictly required for a lost plate, reporting it through your local police non-emergency line is strongly recommended. This creates a paper trail that protects you if the plate is later found and misused.

Step 3 — Visit a ServiceOntario centre. To get an Ontario license plate replacement, bring:

• Government-issued identification (e.g., driver’s licence)
• Proof of valid Ontario auto insurance
• The original vehicle permit (both plate and vehicle portions)
• The remaining plate, if you still have it
• A completed Replacement Declaration form (SR-LV-006)

Step 4 — Pay the replacement fee. The current cost to replace a license plate for a standard passenger vehicle is $59

Step 5 — Drive legally. Your new plates are issued on the spot for standard plates. You cannot legally drive without a visible, registered plate, so do not delay this step.

Pro Tip: You can download and fill out the Application for Vehicle Registration form (SR-LV-006) from the ServiceOntario website before your visit to save time at the counter.

A stolen licence plate is a criminal matter, and the steps are slightly different from a lost plate. If you’re dealing with a stolen licence plate Ontario situation, act within 24 hours.

Step 1 — Call the police non-emergency line immediately. For Toronto residents, you can report to the Toronto Police Service (TPS) online at tps.ca. You will receive a police occurrence number — do not lose this number, as it is mandatory for your ServiceOntario visit.

Step 2 — Report the stolen number plates to MTO. Contacting the Ministry of Transportation (or calling 1-800-387-3445) or 416-235-2999 in the GTA ensures the plate is flagged in the provincial system. This step is critical: once flagged, any automated camera or toll system associating that plate with a vehicle will know it has been reported stolen.

Step 3 — Notify your insurance provider. Call your auto insurer and let them know about the stolen licence plate. Most insurers will log this on your file, which acts as additional protection if fraudulent activity surfaces later.

Step 4 — Visit ServiceOntario to report the stolen licence plate and request a replacement. For a stolen plate, police service information is required on your Replacement Declaration form — either the officer’s name (if reported in person) or the occurrence number (if reported online or by phone).

Bring the following:

• Valid identification
• Proof of valid auto insurance
• Original vehicle permit (plate and vehicle portions)
• The remaining plate, if applicable
• Completed Replacement Declaration with occurrence number

Step 5 — Pay the $59 fee and get your new plates. When you report stolen number plates and complete the process, you receive brand new plates with a new number. Your old stolen plate number is immediately invalidated in the system.

Physical damage to a plate is more common in Ontario winters than most drivers expect. Road salt, gravel strike impact, and the occasional bumper scrape all take their toll. The standard for replacement is straightforward: if a plate cannot be clearly read by either a person or an automated camera at a reasonable distance, it needs to go.

What counts as damage justifying replacement:

• Deeply bent or creased plate that distorts the characters
• Rust or corrosion that obscures letters or numbers
• Paint or reflective coating that has faded to the point of illegibility
• Delamination or peeling of the reflective surface (very common on older Ontario plates)
• Physical cracks through the character areas

The warranty exception: ServiceOntario replaces plates free of charge if they are defective and were purchased within the past five years. If your plate started peeling at the two-year mark, that is a quality issue — not your cost. Bring the dated vehicle permit and the defective plate and make the request explicitly at the counter.

Regardless of whether you’re dealing with a lost, stolen, or damaged situation, the core documents required for any licence plate change in Ontario are:

• Government-issued photo ID (driver’s licence preferred)
• Proof of valid Ontario auto insurance (insurance card or digital copy)
• Vehicle permit — both the plate portion (right side) and vehicle portion (left side)
• Replacement Declaration Form SR-LV-006 (available at ServiceOntario or downloadable online)
• Police occurrence number — required for stolen plates only

If you don’t have your vehicle permit, you can apply for a replacement permit at the same ServiceOntario visit, but this will incur an additional fee.

Many Ontario drivers don’t realise that returning licence plates in Ontario is optional — but often smart. If you’re selling a vehicle, scrapping a car, or moving out of province, you don’t have to return your plates. However, here’s why it’s a good idea:

• Prevents misuse. A discarded plate in a recycling bin can be retrieved and placed on another vehicle, racking up tolls and tickets tied to your record.
• Cancels liability. Returning plates to ServiceOntario officially deregisters them in the provincial system.
• Possible credit. If your licence plate validation sticker is still valid (for applicable vehicle types), ServiceOntario can apply a credit for unused months — though no cash refunds are issued.

When returning plates, bring the plate portion of your vehicle permit along. Staff will officially detach the plate from your registration record.

The best offence is a good defence. Number plate theft is a crime of opportunity, and a few simple precautions dramatically reduce your risk:

• Install anti-theft licence plate screws. These require a special tool to remove and cost just a few dollars at any hardware or auto parts store.
• Park in well-lit, visible areas. Thieves are less likely to crouch in front of a camera or in a busy, bright parking lot.
• Do a quick plate check every time you get in your car. A 2-second glance at both plates — especially after extended parking — can catch theft before you drive.
• Consider a dashcam or parking surveillance camera. Modern dashcams with parking mode record motion events while your car is parked, acting as a strong deterrent.
• Check your 407 ETR account regularly. If your plate is stolen and used on the toll highway, unfamiliar charges will appear quickly.

If you spot suspicious screw damage or a loose plate you didn’t touch, treat it as a potential theft attempt and report it to the police before it escalates.

There is a practical intersection between licence plate management and vehicle scrapping that Ontario drivers often miss. Whether your car has been in a serious collision, has failed emissions testing, or simply costs more to repair than it is worth — the plate rules still apply before handing it over.

If you are in the Toronto area and need to get rid of an end-of-life vehicle, Scrap Car Buyer Toronto offers fast, free scrap car removal across Toronto and pays cash for scrap cars directly at pickup. They operate seven days a week and handle all vehicle conditions — just make sure your plates are off the car before they arrive.

Important: When scrapping a vehicle in Ontario, always remove your licence plates before the car is towed. The plates belong to you — not the vehicle — in Ontario. You can transfer them to a new car or return them to ServiceOntario for deregistration.

Dealing with a lost, stolen, or damaged plate in Ontario is stressful, but the province has a clear, straightforward process. The golden rule: report first, replace second. Whether you’re filing a police report for a stolen licence plate in Ontario, heading to ServiceOntario for a damaged licence plate replacement, or simply handling the paperwork for returning licence plates in Ontario after selling a vehicle — acting quickly and correctly keeps your record clean and your wallet protected.

Frequently Asked Questions

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