Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras were permanently banned across Ontario on November 14, 2025, under the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 (Bill 56). While new tickets are no longer issued, any older tickets remain legally valid. To fight a legacy ASE ticket in Brampton, you must request a Screening Review within 30 days of the Penalty Order date. Because these tickets are issued to the vehicle’s plate owner, they carry no demerit points and do not impact insurance, but fines in Community Safety Zones can easily exceed $700 CAD.
Previously, the City of Brampton rapidly expanded its use of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras, placing them heavily in school zones and designated Community Safety Zones to curb aggressive driving. However, following the passage of the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 (Bill 56), municipal speed cameras were completely banned and deactivated across Ontario on November 14, 2025. These systems used highly calibrated radar to capture speeding infractions without a police officer ever pulling you over . While the cameras have been permanently removed, you may still be dealing with a legacy ticket if your vehicle was photographed prior to the ban.
Receiving an older ASE ticket can still be a frustrating financial burden. Unlike traditional traffic tickets issued by Peel Regional Police under the Highway Traffic Act, legacy ASE infractions apply strict liability to the registered owner of the vehicle, regardless of who was actually driving. While this means you will not face demerit points or a ruined insurance premium, the fines were doubled in safety zones. Fighting these tickets generally focuses on reducing the heavy financial penalty through the city’s Administrative Penalty System (APS). 💰
Step-by-Step Process in Brampton
Dealing with a legacy speed camera ticket requires you to interact with the City of Brampton’s Administrative Penalty System (APS). The process is heavily administrative, and following the specific instructions on the back of your valid Penalty Notice is crucial to preserving your rights.
Step 1: Reviewing the ASE Evidence
If you hold a Penalty Notice, carefully examine the provided photographs and data. The ticket will show the vehicle’s speed, the posted speed limit, the exact location of the Brampton camera, and the time of the offence. Ensure the offence date is on or before November 13, 2025. It will also include a certified statement from a municipal officer asserting that the camera was functioning properly at the time. Verify that the licence plate actually belongs to your vehicle, as optical character recognition errors did occasionally happen .
Step 2: Requesting a Screening Review
You generally have exactly 30 days to respond to the Penalty Notice. You cannot simply ignore it. To fight the charge under the APS, you must submit an online request for a Screening Review. This allows a designated Screening Officer to review your case and potentially reduce the fine or grant an extension to pay, completely bypassing the traditional court and prosecutor system. Most applicants choose this route for legacy ASE tickets, as formal disputes require complex technical defences. 📝
Step 3: Completing the Screening Review
Once you submit your request, you will receive a notice for your Screening Review. These reviews are typically conducted administratively online or virtually, rather than in-person at the 5 Ray Lawson Blvd courthouse. During this review, you or your legal representative can present mitigating factors-such as financial hardship or a clean prior driving record-to ask the Screening Officer for a reduced fine or extra time to pay the penalty .
Step 4: Requesting a Hearing Review
If you are unsatisfied with the Screening Officer’s decision, or if you believe the camera was fundamentally flawed on the day of the offence, you can escalate the matter by requesting a Hearing Review with a Hearing Officer. Fighting a legacy speed camera on technical grounds is exceptionally difficult, as the law heavily presumes the camera’s accuracy. A local law firm may help you request disclosure (calibration records and maintenance logs) to attempt to raise a reasonable doubt about the device’s reliability before the Hearing Officer. 🏛
How Much Does it Cost in Brampton?
ASE tickets were purely financial penalties, but they were uniquely expensive because they were exclusively deployed in Community Safety Zones where fines were doubled. Here is an overview of the costs involved for a valid legacy ticket:
| 1 to 19 km/h Over Limit | $5.00 CAD per km/h | $20 – $95 CAD (Plus surcharges) |
| 20 to 29 km/h Over Limit | $7.50 CAD per km/h | $150 – $217 CAD (Plus surcharges) |
| 30 to 49 km/h Over Limit | $12.00 CAD per km/h | $360 – $588 CAD (Plus surcharges) |
| Victim Fine Surcharge | Varies by Fine | Adds roughly 20% to 25% to the final cost. |
- Stunt Driving Exemption: Unlike officer-issued tickets, ASE cameras could not issue stunt driving charges (which involve vehicle impoundments), even if the vehicle was travelling 50 km/h or more over the limit. You simply received a summons to appear before a judge for a massive fine.
- Legal Representation: Hiring a paralegal or lawyer to handle an older ASE Screening Review typically costs between $300 and $600 CAD.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Your immediate responsibility is to file your request within the 30-day deadline shown on the Penalty Notice. Although ASE cameras are now permanently deactivated, the City of Brampton is still processing older tickets through the APS. Because this system bypasses the heavily backlogged provincial courts, the timeline is much faster. Once you submit a request for a Screening Review, it is usually scheduled and resolved within a few weeks .
If your legacy case proceeds to a Hearing Review, the entire administrative process still wraps up significantly faster than a full trial at 5 Ray Lawson Blvd would have taken. Throughout this waiting period, your ticket remains pending, and no late fees will be applied to your account as long as your review request was properly filed. 🕌
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Will an ASE ticket increase my auto insurance in Ontario?
No. Because the camera only photographed the licence plate, the court cannot prove who was driving. Therefore, the legacy ticket is applied to the vehicle owner, carries no demerit points, and is not visible to your insurance company.
What if someone else was driving my car?
Under the Highway Traffic Act, the registered owner is strictly liable for ASE fines regardless of who was driving. You cannot transfer the legacy ticket to the actual driver, though you can ask them to reimburse you for the fine.
Can I argue that the speed limit sign was not visible?
Yes, inadequate signage can be a valid legal defence. However, you will need to provide concrete evidence, such as date-stamped photographs showing obscured signs at the time of the offence, to present to the Screening or Hearing Officer.
What happens if I just ignore the camera ticket?
If you fail to pay or dispute a legacy ticket within 30 days, you will be found liable. The unpaid fine will eventually be sent to ServiceOntario, and you will not be able to renew your vehicle registration or licence plates until it is paid.
Is it worth hiring a law firm for a camera ticket?
Because these legacy tickets do not affect insurance, paying legal fees may not be cost-effective unless the fine is exceptionally high (e.g., 40+ km/h over) or you are unable to attend an APS review meeting yourself during work hours.
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