BC launches new website to help understand, dispute, pay violation tickets

The provincial government has launched a new website to help people understand, dispute, and resolve violation tickets.

According to the Ministry of Attorney General, the website uses plain language and simple questions to guide users to relevant information and resources.

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Housing Minister and Attorney General David Eby says that the online resource is meant to help British Columbians “learn and resolve their ticket issues without having to go to court.”

The website includes information such as how to pay and dispute tickets or request a fine deduction. It shares details on different kinds of violation tickets, such as provincial violation tickets, municipal tickets, and federal contravention violation tickets.

As far as disputing goes, individuals will still have to do so either by mail or in person.

The website also addresses some common points that are often brought up in the dispute process. It states that minor errors, such as misspelled words, may not be grounds for dismissing a ticket. Additionally, police officers can issue tickets across different jurisdictions, and in the case of a motor vehicle violation, they don’t need to write the speed on the ticket.

It also notes that police officer schedules are checked before setting court hearing dates.

“We know that integrating technology into our justice system has significant benefits, making it easier and more efficient for people to interact with the courts,” Eby said in a written statement.

“This new tool will consolidate existing information into one place, helping British Columbians to learn about and resolve their ticket issues without always having to go to court. It is another step forward as we work to update BC’s justice system to better support the needs of people.”

Provincial Court Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie adds that there’s a “high interest” in the information and that the Provincial Court welcomes the new resource.

BC says that more than 500,000 violation tickets are issued in the province annually, with approximately 80,000 of those scheduled for hearings.