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Part of Fine payment and enforcement

Fines Enforcement Program

What happens if you do not pay Traffic Safety Act fines, Criminal Code fines or no-cash bail forfeitures, and how to pay your debt.

Crown must be paid

Sometimes the federal and provincial governments in Canada are called the Crown. We make sure the Crown is paid for:

  • Traffic Safety Act fines
  • Criminal Code fines
  • no-cash bail forfeitures if bail conditions are broken, like:
    • if you miss your court date

Money owed to the Crown has no statute of limitations. The debt only goes away when:

  • it is paid

If you do not pay

We do these things to make sure the Crown is paid:

  • stop some Alberta registry services
  • tell the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) about your debt
  • wage garnishment:
    • your employer sends us part of your wages until your debt is gone
  • bank garnishment:
    • we take the money you owe the Crown from your bank account(s)
  • get a lien against your property:
    • people will not buy property if it has a lien against it
  • take things you own, like:
    • vehicles
    • recreational vehicles
    • jewellery

Stopping registry services

We can stop some registry services until your debt is fully paid. You will not be able to renew your Alberta:

  • driver’s licence or
  • vehicle registration

We take this action for unpaid:

  • Traffic Safety Act fines or
  • Criminal Code fines

Enforcement and the CRA

We tell the CRA about your debt. The CRA will send us:

  • your income tax refunds
  • your Goods and Services Tax Credits (GSTC)
  • your Climate Action Incentive Payments (CAI)
  • any other provincial or territorial rebates if you do not live in Alberta

The CRA:

  • will not send us more than you owe
  • decides how little or how much of your tax refunds and rebates to send us

We take this action for unpaid:

  • Traffic Safety Act fines or
  • Criminal Code fines or
  • no-cash bail forfeitures:
    • you had no-cash bail and
    • you broke your bail conditions and
    • did not pay the agreed amount for the no-cash bail forfeiture

Get back registry services

All money owed to the Alberta government must be fully paid to get back your Alberta registry services.

It is up to you to check with an Alberta registry about your services.

Pay your debt to the Crown and you can use a registry to renew your:

  • driver’s licence or
  • vehicle registration

How long it takes

It takes 5 to 7 days to get your registry services back after your debt is cleared.

Copies and disputes

Contact Court and Justice Services for help with things like:

  • getting a copy of a ticket or fine
  • details about your bail conditions
  • disputing a:
    • fine
    • traffic ticket
    • no-cash bail forfeiture

Deceased debtors

If you need to advise the Fines and Enforcement program of a death, contact the program at [email protected] and provide the following information:

  • first name
  • last name
  • date of birth of the decedent
  • name of the executor
  • a copy of the death certificate

The file will continue to be registered with the CRA until the final tax return has been completed and processed.

Pay no-cash bail forfeitures

Pay by mail

Include your docket number.

Send a cheque or money order made payable to Government of Alberta:

Fines Enforcement Program
PO Box 11363
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 3K6

Pay at a courthouse

Pay your no-cash bail forfeiture at your local courthouse.

Pay Traffic Safety Act fines

Pay online

Only tickets from the last 5 years can be paid online.

Go to the fine payments page to:

  • pay your fine or
  • search for your ticket number

Pay at an Alberta registry

Only tickets from the last 5 years can be paid at a registry.

Pay by mail

Tickets of any age can be paid by mail.

  • include your ticket number

Send a cheque or money order made payable to Government of Alberta:

Fines Enforcement Program
PO Box 11363
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 3K6

Pay at a courthouse

Tickets of any age can be paid at a courthouse.

Find your local courthouse. You may have to ask the court clerk to check ticket history to find your ticket.

Pay Criminal Code fines

Pay by mail

Include your docket number.

Send a cheque or money order made payable to Government of Alberta:

Fines Enforcement Program
PO Box 11363
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 3K6

Pay at a courthouse

Criminal Code fines can be paid at your local courthouse.

Criminal Code fine option

This program is only for people with unpaid Criminal Code fines.

You must be:

  • at least 18 years old
  • eligible to work in Canada

You may be able to work off your fine instead of:

  • paying with money or
  • serving time in jail

For placement

Call the Alberta Justice Fine Option program.

Hours: 8:15 am to 12 pm, 1 pm to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)

Phone: 1-855-738-4747

Alberta Public Health Act fines

Fines are referred to the Fines Enforcement Program for enforcement once they become past due and the appeal period is expired.

Pay online:

  • Go to the fine payments page to pay your fine or search for your ticket number.

Pay at a registry office:

  • Pay at any Alberta registry.

Pay by mail:

  • Include your ticket number.
  • Send a cheque or money order made payable to Government of Alberta to:
    Fines Enforcement Program
    PO Box 11363
    Edmonton, AB  T5J 3K6

Contact

Connect with the Fines Enforcement Program:

Email or fax us your questions. It is helpful to include your:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • address
  • ticket number or docket number, if you know it

Email: [email protected]
Fax: 780-415-6026

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