The charge commonly referred to as a stop sign ticket—officially “disobey stop sign”—is a traffic offence under Highway Traffic Act of Ontario 136,1 which states:

Every driver or street car operator approaching a stop sign at an intersection shall,

• stop the vehicle at a marked stop line or,
  • if none, then immediately before entering the nearest crosswalk or,
  • if none, then immediately before entering the intersection; and
• yield the right of way to traffic in the intersection, and
  • approaching the intersection on another highway so closely
  • that to proceed would constitute an immediate hazard and,
  • having so yielded the right of way, may proceed.

The police and courts define a proper stop at a stop sign as “bringing the vehicle to a full and complete stop”.

Stop sign tickets come with more than just a fine. In fact, a stop sign ticket includes four separate penalties:

• three demerit points
• fine of one hundred and ten dollars ($110.00)
• conviction registered on your driving record for three years
• insurance increases and determination of fault in accident cases

Where a driver is convicted of disobeying a stop sign, the traffic ticket goes on the driving record for three years including any demerit points.

Any moving violation, such as a stop sign ticket on a driver’s abstract can affect insurance rates for 3 or more years.

The police and courts define a stop sign violation as:

where the driver did not come to a “full and complete” stop at the stop sign.

Where the driver misses the stop sign or makes a “rolling or incomplete stop” the police officer may charge the driver with disobeying a stop sign.  The stop must be full and complete:

• at the stop line, or if none;
• crosswalk, or if none;
• immediately before entering the intersection.

Many times a “stop” can be something that happens momentarily or for just a second or so. The Highway Traffic Act does not specify how long the stop must be, only that it must be a full and complete stop.

The perception of the police officer may be different from the driver, or even the view point may have been obstructed.  Where the driver attends court and provides evidence to the court that is credible, the Justice may dismiss the charge.

During a trial ,a proper cross-examination of the police officer must be made.  This ensures that the officer actually did witness the driver fail to stop and that the police officer has covered all of the legal technicalities of a stop sign ticket.

Traffic court paralegal Eddie Cho
Retired OPP Officer

When you choose OTT Legal to fight your stop sign ticket, you’re entrusting your case to a team with over 20 years of experience and a proven track record of success in fighting traffic tickets across Ontario.

With one of the highest success rates and hundreds of positive reviews, our team handles every detail of your defence. We take care of preparing your case for trial, obtaining police disclosures and reports, conducting pre-trial hearings, meeting with the prosecutor, and representing you in traffic court.

Don’t risk your driving record—let OTT Legal handle your defence.

Call and let’s discuss your defence today.