Vehicle registration plates of Ontario
The Canadian province of Ontario first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1903. Registrants provided their own licence plates for display until 1911, when the province began to issue plates. Plates are currently issued by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.
The location of plates and renewal stickers is specified by the Highway Traffic Act and Regulation 628 under the Act.
The Crown
The symbol of a crown representing the Crown of Canada has appeared on almost all Ontario licence plates since 1937, when it was first used to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Exceptions include the 1951 plates, and farm series plates issued in the 1980s and 1990s. Toronto politician and Orange Order leader Leslie Saunders led protests against a proposal to remove the crown in 1948, a decision the government overturned.Passenger baseplates
1911 to 1972
In 1956, Canada, the United States, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for licence plates for vehicles at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1954 issue was the first Ontario licence plate that complied with these standards.| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1911 | White serial on blue porcelain plate; vertical "ONT." and "1911" at left and right respectively | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 11500 | ||
| 1912 | Black serial on white flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1912" at left | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 16500 | ||
| 1913 | Black serial on yellow flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1913" at left | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 24000 | ||
| 1914 | Black serial on tan flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1914" at left | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 33000 | ||
| 1915 | Dark blue serial on light green flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1915" at left | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 43000 | ||
| 1916 | Black serial on white flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1916" at left | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 64000 | ||
| 1917 | Black serial on white flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1917" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 78000 | ||
| 1918 | Dark blue serial on white flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1918" at left | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 107000 | ||
| 1919 | Black serial on golden yellow flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1919" at left | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 133000 | ||
| 1920 | Dark green serial on white flat metal plate; provincial coat of arms and "ONT 1920" at left | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 162000 | ||
| 1921 | Embossed orange serial on black plate with border line; "ONT 21" at left | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 184-000 | First embossed plate. | |
| 1922 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "ONT 22" at left | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 216-000 | ||
| 1923 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "ONT–1923" at bottom | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 260-000 | ||
| 1924 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "ONT–1924" at bottom | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 313-000 | ||
| 1925 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "ONT 25" at left | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 309-000 | ||
| 1926 | Embossed black serial on grey plate with border line; "ONT 26" at left | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 415-000 | ||
| 1927 | Embossed black serial on buff plate with border line; "ONTARIO 1927" at bottom | none | 123·456 | 1 to approximately 437·000 | First use of the full province name. | |
| 1928 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "ONTARIO 1928" at bottom | none | 123·456 | 1 to approximately 446·000 | ||
| 1929 | Embossed black serial on grey plate with border line; "ONTARIO 1929" at bottom | none | 123·456 | 1 to approximately 477·000 | ||
| 1930 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "ONTARIO 1930" at bottom | none | A-1234 | A-1 to Z-9999 | Letters G, I and Q not used in serials. | |
| 1930 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "ONTARIO 1930" at bottom | none | AB-123 | AA-1 to approximately PV-999 | Letters G, I and Q not used in serials. | |
| 1931 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "ONTARIO 1931" at top | none | A·1234 | A·1 to Z·9999 | ||
| 1931 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "ONTARIO 1931" at top | none | AB·123 | AA·1 to approximately OT·999 | ||
| 1932 | Embossed black serial on grey plate; "ONTARIO 1932" at top | none | A·1234 | A·1 to Z·9999 | ||
| 1932 | Embossed black serial on grey plate; "ONTARIO 1932" at top | none | AB·123 | AA·1 to approximately OB·999 | ||
| 1933 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "ONTARIO 1933" at top | none | A·1234 | A·1 to Z·9999 | ||
| 1933 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "ONTARIO 1933" at top | none | AB·123 | AA·1 to approximately MZ·999 | ||
| 1934 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "ONTARIO 1934" at top | none | A·1234 | A·1 to Z·9999 | ||
| 1934 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "ONTARIO 1934" at top | none | AB·123 | AA·1 to approximately NA·999 | ||
| 1935 | Embossed black serial on orange plate; "19 ONTARIO 35" at top | none | A·1234 | A·1 to Z·9999 | ||
| 1935 | Embossed black serial on orange plate; "19 ONTARIO 35" at top | none | AB·123 | AA·1 to approximately OK·999 | ||
| 1936 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "19 ONTARIO 36" at bottom | none | A·1234 | A·1 to Z·9999 | ||
| 1936 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "19 ONTARIO 36" at bottom | none | AB·123 | AA·1 to approximately PK·999 | ||
| 1937 | Embossed white serial on red plate; "ONTARIO 1937" centred at top, with crowns to left and right | none | 1·A·234 12·A·34 123·A·4 | First base to feature a crown in any form. | ||
| 1938 | Embossed orange serial on light blue plate; "19", crown and "38" centred at top; "ONTARIO" centred at bottom | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 | Colours commemorate the Loyal True Blue and Orange Home. | ||
| 1939 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "19", crown and "39" centred at top; "ONTARIO" centred at bottom | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| 1940 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1940" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| 1941 | Embossed green serial on white plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1941" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| 1942 | Embossed black serial on orange plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1942" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| Embossed orange serial on black plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1943" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | Revalidated for 1944 with windshield stickers, due to metal conservation for World War II. | |||
| 1945 | Embossed white serial on blue plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1945" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| 1946 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1946" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| 1947 | Embossed black serial on silver plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1947" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| 1948 | Embossed white serial on blue plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1948" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 | |||
| 1949 | Embossed blue serial on white plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1949" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 1234A | |||
| 1950 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1950" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 1234A | |||
| 1951–52 | Embossed blue serial on white plate; "19–ONTARIO–51" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 1234A AB123 | Revalidated for 1952 with windshield stickers. | ||
| 1953 | Embossed white serial on blue plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1953" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 1234A AB123 | |||
| 1954 | Embossed blue serial on white plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1954" at top | none | 1A234 12A34 123A4 A1234 1234A AB123 | |||
| 1955 | As 1953 base, but with "1955" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A12·345 | First 6" x 12" plate. | ||
| 1956 | As 1954 base, but with "1956" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1957 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1957" at top | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1958 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "ONTARIO", crown and "1958" at top | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1959 | As 1957 base, but with "1959" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1960 | As 1958 base, but with "1960" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1961 | As 1957 base, but with "1961" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1962 | As 1958 base, but with border line, and with "1962" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1963 | As 1957 base, but with border line, and with "1963" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1964 | As 1958 base, but with border line, and with "1964" to right of crown | none | 123·456 A·12345 | |||
| 1965 | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "ONTARIO", crown and "1965" at top | none | 123·456 A·12345 12345·A | |||
| 1966 | Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "ONTARIO", crown and "1966" at top | none | 123·456 A·12345 12345·A | |||
| 1967 | Embossed white serial with crown separator on blue plate with border line; "19 ONTARIO 67" at top | "18 CONFEDERATION 67" at bottom | 123-456 A12-345 123-45A | Issued as part of the Canadian Centennial celebration. | ||
| 1968 | Embossed blue serial with crown separator on white plate with border line; "1968" and "ONTARIO" centred at top and bottom respectively | none | 123-456 A12-345 123-45A | |||
| 1969 | Embossed white serial with crown separator on blue plate with border line; "1969" and "ONTARIO" centred at top and bottom respectively | none | 123-456 A12-345 123-45A | |||
| 1970 | As 1968 base, but with "1970" at top | none | 123-456 A12-345 123-45A | |||
| 1971 | As 1969 base, but with "1971" at top | none | 123-456 A12-345 123-45A | |||
| 1972 | As 1968 base, but with "1972" at top | none | 123-456 A12-345 123-45A |
1973 to present
After 1973 Ontario ceased to issue plates annually. Instead, validation was indicated by means of stickers affixed to the plates. All Ontario licence plates issued since 1973 remain valid for display, provided they have been continuously registered.In April 2019, the Government of Ontario announced that the plates would be redesigned. The plates' design includes a surficial laminate layer manufactured by 3M. The plates have a two-tone blue background with white letters and numbers flanking a stylized white trillium, below which is the motto "A Place to Grow", taking inspiration from Ontario's unofficial anthem "A Place to Stand, a Place to Grow. Issue of the new plates began on 1 February 2020. This design was scrapped on May 6, 2020.
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Embossed blue serial with crown separator on white plate with border line; "ONTARIO" centred at top; "73" at bottom left and full sticker box at bottom right | "KEEP IT BEAUTIFUL" centred at bottom | ABC-123 | AAA-001 to NKJ-999 | Letters G, I and Q not used in this serial format, and U discontinued after the LMU series. | ||
| 1978–82 | As above, but without "73", and with partial sticker box at bottom right | "KEEP IT BEAUTIFUL" centred at bottom | ABC-123 | NKK-001 to TMA-999 | ||
| 1982–86 | As above, but with no sticker box | "YOURS TO DISCOVER" centred at bottom | ABC-123 | TMB-001 to ZZZ-999 | Staggered registration introduced 1983, with each plate expiring in the same month as the registrant's birthday. | |
| 1986–94 | As above, but with no sticker box | "YOURS TO DISCOVER" centred at bottom | 123-ABC | 001-AAA to 999-VYH | Letters G, I, Q and U not used in this serial format. | |
| 1994–97 | Blue on reflective white with screened crown separator; "ONTARIO" screened in blue centred at top | "YOURS TO DISCOVER" screened in blue centred at bottom | 123-ABC | 001-VYJ to 999-ZZZ | Narrower serial dies introduced in preparation for ABCD-123 format. | |
| 1997–2020 2020–present | Blue on reflective white with screened crown separator; "ONTARIO" screened in blue centred at top | "YOURS TO DISCOVER" screened in blue centred at bottom | CLZZ-999; FAAA-001 to FAAD-999 | Letters G, I, O, Q and U not used in this serial format. | ||
| 2008–2020 2020–present | Blue on reflective white with screened crown separator; "ONTARIO" screened in blue centred at top | "TANT À DÉCOUVRIR" screened in blue centred at bottom | CLZZ-999; FAAA-001 to FAAD-999 | Alternative issue. Exclusive use of 'F' series of serials since April 2019. | ||
| February 1, 2020 - May 6, 2020 | White on reflective, two-hue blue with white stylized trillium separator and white crown placed bottom right; "Ontario" screened in white centred at top | "A PLACE TO GROW" screened in white centred at bottom. | ABCD-123 | CMAA-000 to CMJZ-000 | The initial batch of these plates issued from February 1 to March 4 were recalled. This design was later scrapped on May 6. | |
| February 1, 2020 - May 6, 2020 | White on reflective, two-hue blue with white stylized trillium separator and white crown placed bottom right; "Ontario" screened in white centred at top | "EN PLEIN ESSOR" screened in white centred at bottom | ABCD-123 | FAAE-000 to FAAF-000 | Alternative issue. |
Serial numbers reserved for government officials
| Serial | Political Office of Holder | Level of Government |
| CAN-001 | Prime Minister of Canada | Federal |
| CAN-002 to CAN-999 | Federal Cabinet Ministers | Federal |
| SEN-001 to SEN-999 | Members of the Senate | Federal |
| MHC-001 to MHC-999 | Members of the House of Commons | Federal |
| FCJ-001 to FCJ-999 | Federal Court Judges | Federal |
| FDA-001 to FDZ-999 | Federally Owned Vehicles | Federal |
| ONT-001 | Premier of Ontario | Provincial |
| ONT-002 to ONT-999 | Provincial Cabinet Ministers | Provincial |
| MPP-001 to MPP-999 | Members of Provincial Parliament | Provincial |
| SCO-001 to SCO-999 | Ontario Superior Court of Justice | Provincial |
| PJO-001 to PJO-999 | Ontario Provincial Judges | Provincial |
| ONA-001 to ONZ-999 | Provincially Owned Vehicles | Provincial |
Green vehicle plates
Historic vehicles
Vehicles more than 30 years old and substantially unchanged since manufacture may qualify for a "Historic" registration.Annual fees are much lower, but historic vehicles may not be used as conventional transportation. They legally may only be driven to and from events and parades where the vehicle is on display, to garages for maintenance, and other similar use cases. Annual renewal stickers are affixed to the rear plate, as with passenger vehicles.
Historic plates are not to be confused with year-of-manufacture plates.
Commercial plates 1980 to present
Unlike passenger cars, plate validation stickers for commercial vehicles are placed on the front plate, instead of the rear. This placement is consistent between trucks with visible rear plates, and tractor units where the rear plate is obscured by a trailer. Ontario vehicles registered in the International Registration Plan receive special commercial plates with "PRP" screened vertically at the left.All pickup trucks are legally considered commercial vehicles and thus require commercial plates. However, if used strictly as a passenger vehicle, a truck may be exempt from some conditions imposed on commercial vehicles, indicated by a white or red "PERSONAL USE ONLY" sticker affixed in the top left corner of the front plate.
| Image | First issued | Description | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1980 | Black on white with embossed crown separator | none | AB1-234 | AA1-001 to ZD9-999 | Also used for non-passenger personal vehicles. | |
| 1995 | Black on reflective white with screened crown separator | "Yours to Discover" | AB1-234 | ZE1-001 to ZZ9-999 | On commercial vehicles, licence plate stickers are affixed in the top right of the front plate, as shown in the photo. The top left corner may be used for other stickers relating to vehicle use or taxation. | |
| 1996 | Black on reflective white with screened crown separator | "Yours to Discover" | 123-4AB | 100-1AA to 999-9ZZ | On commercial vehicles, licence plate stickers are affixed in the top right of the front plate, as shown in the photo. The top left corner may be used for other stickers relating to vehicle use or taxation. | |
| 2011 | Black on reflective white with screened crown separator | "Yours to Discover" | AA-10001 to BD-58832 | On commercial vehicles, licence plate stickers are affixed in the top right of the front plate, as shown in the photo. The top left corner may be used for other stickers relating to vehicle use or taxation. | ||
| 2011 | Black on reflective white with screened crown separator | "Tant à Découvrir" | present | On commercial vehicles, licence plate stickers are affixed in the top right of the front plate, as shown in the photo. The top left corner may be used for other stickers relating to vehicle use or taxation. | ||
| 2006 | Black on reflective white with screened crown separator; vertical "PRP" at left | "Yours to Discover" | 123-4PA | 100-1PA to 999-9PZ | Used on vehicles registered in the International Registration Plan. | |
| 2019 | Black on reflective white with screened crown separator; vertical "PRP" at left | "Yours to Discover" | PA12345 | PA10001 to present | Used on vehicles registered in the International Registration Plan. | |
| 2020 | White on reflective, two-hue blue with white stylized trillium separator and white crown placed bottom right | "Open for Business" | AB-12345 | BD-10001? | These plates never came out due to visibility issues, recalled, then scrapped. | |
| 2020 | White on reflective, two-hue blue with white stylized trillium separator and white crown placed bottom right | "Ouvert aux affaires" | AB-12345 |
Farm plates
Vehicles over 3000 kg owned by farmers and used for farm-related purposes, such as working the soil, building maintenance, and the transportation of farm products, may qualify for a farm plate. Farm-plated trucks and towed trailers may also be used by a farmer for personal transportation.To qualify, a farmer must meet a series of criteria, including membership in farming organisations and a minimum amount of income that derives from farming. Fees for farm plates are substantially lower than for passenger or commercial plates. The Highway Traffic Act also exempts farm vehicles from several requirements imposed on commercial vehicles.
Farm plates are black on white with a black crown separator, in a pattern similar to commercial plates. They have the word "FARM" written vertically on the left of the plate. Validation stickers are the same as for other vehicles, and are affixed to the front plate, as with commercial plates.
Other non-passenger plates
Trailer plates
All trailers in Ontario are considered separate vehicles and must have a permit and be plated. New owners of a trailer must register with the MTO within six days of purchase. They are then issued with a permit and a plate. Trailer plates are not renewed annually, but may be replaced if lost, damaged or stolen. Plates are affixed to the rear of the trailer. There is no front plate.All trailers, whether used by commercial operators or others, use a same model plate. Plates are blue on white with crown separator, in a pattern and colour similar to that of passenger vehicles, with the word "TRAILER" written vertically on the left of the plate. However, they do not follow the same numbering system as other vehicles.
Dealer and service licence plates
In Ontario, motor vehicle dealers licensed under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act use a single portable plate with the word "DEALER" on the left side and red alpha-numeric characters on a white background. It is for exclusive use by motor vehicle dealers only on motor vehicles owned as part of the dealer's inventory of vehicles for sale. It may also be used for private use vehicles that are owned as part of the dealer's inventory of vehicles for sale.Service providers, including anyone who repairs, customizes, modifies, manufactures or transports motor vehicles or trailers use yellow and black DLR series plates.
A service plate may be used:
- on a trailer or motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or motor-assisted bicycle for purposes related to the repair, road testing, customization or modification of the vehicle, if the vehicle is in the possession of the person to whom the service plate is issued, or
- for the purpose of transporting the vehicle by a person engaged in the business of transporting vehicles, or
- for purposes related to the manufacturing or sale of a trailer, or
- for the purpose of towing the vehicle by a person engaged in the business of transporting vehicles, or
- to tow a vehicle to a location where its load will be removed or to an impound facility.
Vanity licence plates
Along with regular series plates, the province also offers vanity plates for passenger and commercial vehicles. A personalized licence plate message may contain almost any combination of letters and numbers from two to eight characters. The plates can also include one of 60 different graphics, with two to six characters. Available graphics have changed over the years, with some becoming available, while others have been withdrawn or modified. Owners selecting a graphic but no custom message are generally assigned a registration with a 12XY34 pattern, where the XY is a code indicating the design.The province reserves the right to refuse or withdraw plates for a variety of reasons, including:
- Sexual messages
- Abusive, obscene language and derogatory slang
- Promotion or denunciation of religion and religious figures
- Promotion of use of drugs or alcohol
- Messages relating to politics, political figures, negative statements on institutions and persons, public personalities, or police badge numbers
- Advocating or promoting violence or crime
- Any discriminatory statement
- Ambiguous or confusing numbers, or which may be mistaken for another existing plate
- Messages which may infringe on copyright and intellectual property
The ownership of plates with graphic elements associated with particular groups, such as veterans or firefighters, may be restricted and require proof of eligibility.
Personalized plates with two to five characters are also available for motorcycles.
Manufacturing
Ontario licence plates were formerly manufactured by prison inmates at the Millbrook Correctional Centre in Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan. Upon Millbrook's closure in 2003, manufacture was moved to the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario. Since 1991, all Ontario plates have been manufactured for the MTO by Trilcor Industries, owned by the province's Ministry of the Solicitor General.Alternative Supplier
In 2016, an increase in the rate of defective plates combined with an increase in the number of registered vehicles led to the Ontario Ministry of Transport becoming unable to keep up with demand for plates. It placed an order for 100,000 units from the Waldale Irwin Holdson Group, the largest licence plate manufacturer in North America. Plates are produced by the Waldale Manufacturing facility in Amherst, Nova Scotia.Plates from the first batch of 35,000 can be identified due to the use of embossed letters and numbers from Nova Scotia plates, which differ in appearance from Ontarian fonts.
Issues & Controversies
Defective plates from 2012
In 2012, reports began to appear of plates deteriorating earlier than otherwise expected. The reflective layers detached themselves from the metal plate, making the plate unreadable. Approximately 1% of licence plates issued have this defect. The defect has appeared in both front and rear plates. Trilcor Industries and the MTO offer a five-year warranty on plates and will replace the defective plates at no cost. Plate replacement for other reasons is done at a cost.Conventional plates can be replaced "over-the-counter" at a licence office, but the complete process for personalized plates takes over six months.
Driving with an illegible plate is an offence punishable by fine, under the Highway Traffic Act.
In 2015, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services hired Canada's National Research Council to identify the root cause of licence plate de-lamination. The NRC's report indicated that the reflective material adhered poorly to the aluminium plates, and that embossing process stressed the materials to the point that the reflective layer would puncture and de-laminate. At that point, water and other contaminants could slip between the layers. Also, road de-icing materials contributed to the de-lamination. The report found that this problem was present in samples from all types of plates, except for motorcycle plates.
The report recommended that Trilcor work with its supplier of laminating layer to resolve the problem, and indicated that a thicker layer of material would likely perform better.
Illegality of licence plate covers
Many vehicle owners place clear plastic covers over their licence plates to protect their already defective licence plates from premature deterioration. According to Ontario's Highway Traffic Act Section 13.2, licence plate covers are considered an obstruction and are illegal in the province of Ontario. In the rare event that the officer chooses to issue the citation, the offence carries a minimum fine of $85. On the contrary, drivers operating a motor vehicle with defective number plates can be charged with the same offence. This has left defective number plate owners with little choice but to obtain replacement plates from the MTO, orders which have taken months to process.Several motorists sought other solutions to prevent their number plates from deterioration, such as placing the front plate on the dashboard instead of affixing it to the front bumper. Others have omitted the front licence plate altogether since it is not uncommon to see out-of-province vehicles on Ontario roadways. In most cases, vehicle owners who attempted the aforementioned solutions were convicted of the same offence.
Defective plates from 2020
On 15 February 2020, two weeks after the province began issuing plates with the new design, off-duty Kingston Police Sergeant Steve Koopman posted a photo on Twitter showing a vehicle with the new plate at night, stating that "they're virtually unreadable at night". Government spokesperson Lisa Thompson, the Minister of Government and Consumer Services, stated in a news conference that the new design had undergone a "rigorous testing program", that the government had consulted with "key stakeholders" including law enforcement, and that the plates were not problematic. She also criticized the earlier "Liberal plates", referring to a batch of plates issued during a previous government that peeled. Thompson stated that manufacturing and quality control are the responsibility of 3M. The redesigned plates also caused problems for photo radar cameras, which have difficulty reading the name of the jurisdiction. The name is rendered in a smaller font size than earlier plates. The president of the Toronto Police Association stated that the organization had not been consulted on the new design.The Ford Government had insisted for days that there was not an issue with the plates, however, on February 20, it announced that 3M would make a "enhanced licence plate" to be available in less than three weeks. On February 28, the government announced that the distribution of the defective plates would cease on March 4, that the enhanced plates would be ready by March 16 at "no cost to Ontario taxpayers", those who had already been issued the new plates will receive the enhanced version in the mail, and until the enhanced plates were ready, the government switched back to the previous plate design. This design was later scrapped on May 6.