is there anyone that has this experiance

[karwowski]

i have a question. i had my fishing and hunting license for over 20 year continuously. Every three years they send me a letter that states i need to renew my licence. last year i didn't receive a letter reminding me of my renewal. the very first time i went ice fishing this year, i got checked by an environmental officer, i found out my licence isn't valid. i forgot to check my license and i got a fine of $155. im wondering is there anything i could do or just pay my fine.

if i go to court will they lower the fine?

can you give me some advise on what i can do at this point.

 

[Joeytier]

Pay the fine and move on. Hard to argue against the fact that you didn't have a valid license, as painful as it is.

 

I've been dinged $120 for leaving my license at the campsite...that hurts even more

[aplumma]

Fighting a ticket should be done when you have an explanation that could be used to reduce or eliminate the record or fine. Not getting the notice will not work it falls into "ignorance of the law is not a defense" as the lawyers say. If it helps mail in the fine and if you do not have to take a day off of work to go to court think about it as actually making money.

 

Best of luck

 

Art

[Sinker]

They no longer send the notices. Its up to you to keep it up to date now.

 

S.

[MCTFisher9120]

Pay the fine you broke the law. I could see fighting it if you purchased the 2014 license and had it in the truck but no purchase at all and on the lake. Gonna be a hard go. We got our box of 50 MNR Regulations(Fishing) They were gone in 3 or 4 weeks and we try to hand them out to the "older" guys as the young bucks can check online. It's sad. More $$ for the licence and half the service (Notice letters, Regulations, etc…) The best part is, when our machine at Gagnons has troubles you need to call a 1800 number in the US for help.

 

Drives me nuts.

 

MTBF

[Fisherman]

Do you check and make sure your birthday is still the same day, how about your anniversary, opening day of walleye, drivers, licence, etc. You can only blame yourself for forgetting.

[bassjnkie]

Come October,November and December.. Some good people here put a thread up reminding everyone it's renewal time..

Edited March 7, 2014 by DanielM

[tb4me]

Ha ha ha you came to the wrong place looking for advice against the MNR .Nice first post BTW.. lol Pay the fine in person in nickles if you feel the need to....

[Ralph Field]

Hopefully you won't have to take the hunter safety course again !

[Canuck2fan]

Sorry about your luck but you are in the wrong, so going to fight it just wastes a CO's time who might be out catching a poacher or two, instead of cooling their heels in a court room. It sucks that they don't send out renewals but we all adults here aren't we?

 

On a side note if you had not got checked for 6yrs you would have been money ahead. I only mention that because I had a boss who didn't notice his sticker on his van wasn't current for 2 FULL years. When the top cops in town finally pulled him over he made money on the deal because the fine was less than the cost of the 2 stickers. Now comes the unbelievable part, the van was used 4 days a week for bread delivery, minimum of 2hrs just in town, and no cop noticed. After that he got pulled over about once year, like clock work, and 3 TIMES his current insurance slip was sitting on his desk in the envelop unopened. All 3 times he called and told me to come back immediately and get the current slip for the van I was driving as it was on the same policy, I laughed and told him no need I dropped into his broker and got the current slip for my van long before the old one was expired.... (only because I knew I couldn't "afford" the fine on what he was paying me LOL)

Edited March 7, 2014 by Canuck2fan

[Dave Bailey]

I've been dinged $120 for leaving my license at the campsite...that hurts even more

 

The authorities need to meet people halfway on this one. Let's face it, the only reason why you are required to carry any sort of license with you is because it makes the officer's job easier. So here's what they should do: issue the ticket; but if you can produce the license (fishing, driving, whatever) within a set period of time, maybe two business days, it will be rescinded. Otherwise it's little more than a cash grab. If I go out in my car but leave my wallet at home, does it mean I become an unsafe driver because that little piece of plastic isn't with me? Heck, if I realise it isn't with me when I'm a hundred kilometers from home, I'll probably be a safer driver until I get back!

[mistaredone]

Driving without having your licence on you is a $100+ ticket

[mistaredone]

I've had a few lol

[bobogo]

 

The authorities need to meet people halfway on this one. Let's face it, the only reason why you are required to carry any sort of license with you is because it makes the officer's job easier. So here's what they should do: issue the ticket; but if you can produce the license (fishing, driving, whatever) within a set period of time, maybe two business days, it will be rescinded. Otherwise it's little more than a cash grab. If I go out in my car but leave my wallet at home, does it mean I become an unsafe driver because that little piece of plastic isn't with me? Heck, if I realise it isn't with me when I'm a hundred kilometers from home, I'll probably be a safer driver until I get back!

 

well said Dave.

Not having a license with you and not having one at all is totally different, why should the ticket be the same amount.

Hopefully they'll change their rules about it in the future cause right now it does seem like a cash grab.

[davey buoy]

 

well said Dave.

Not having a license with you and not having one at all is totally different, why should the ticket be the same amount.

Hopefully they'll change their rules about it in the future cause right now it does seem like a cash grab.

If I remember correctly,years ago you had 24 hours to show licence or insurance at the police station in the area you were ticketed.As well as any lights out and you replaced or fixed them in 24 hours?.

Edited March 8, 2014 by davey buoy

[Joeytier]

 

The authorities need to meet people halfway on this one. Let's face it, the only reason why you are required to carry any sort of license with you is because it makes the officer's job easier. So here's what they should do: issue the ticket; but if you can produce the license (fishing, driving, whatever) within a set period of time, maybe two business days, it will be rescinded. Otherwise it's little more than a cash grab. If I go out in my car but leave my wallet at home, does it mean I become an unsafe driver because that little piece of plastic isn't with me? Heck, if I realise it isn't with me when I'm a hundred kilometers from home, I'll probably be a safer driver until I get back!

That is exactly what happened...

 

I was camping on Crotch lake (Land o'lakes) on a long weekend and had to be back home on the tuesday...3 hours away....so 6 hours driving on a business day to present my license to the municipal office to save $120...yeah I'll just bite the bullet

[Joey]

They can easily check to see if you have a licence by their little hand held computer. We had a friend who forgot his and they did it in about 10 seconds. They just choose not to sometimes

[mcdougy]

They stopped me and 5 year old last spring in our boat. I had left my license at the cottage. They threatened a fine, but did not proceed . I insisted that they follow me to the cottage to have a look at my license. They did. It made me feel better to prove that I was trying to play within the rules.

[John Bacon]

They can easily check to see if you have a licence by their little hand held computer. We had a friend who forgot his and they did it in about 10 seconds. They just choose not to sometimes

 

Yes, the laws have not kept with the technology. They should relax the requirements to have out license with us when it is so easy for them to verify that we have one.

[Dave Bailey]

I did get stopped in a spot check once, and had left my wallet at home. I was only a block away, didn't walk because it was threatening rain. I apologised and said "I can give you my license number and you can check it out". He looked a little stunned, but I rattled it off, he checked his computer, and then came back and said I was the first person he had run into who memorized their driver's license, and let me go with a warning. Back in the 70s I had a medical problem for which my license was suspended for 6 months, and during all the wrangling with the ministry it got burned into my brain. Glad it was!

[Dave Bailey]

If I remember correctly,years ago you had 24 hours to show licence or insurance at the police station in the area you were ticketed.As well as any lights out and you replaced or fixed them in 24 hours?.

 

They no longer do that. Twice in the past few years I've been pulled over for plate issues, the first time it was the front one, it had fallen off, I had retrieved it, but hadn't yet reattached it. The second time was because the officer said it was so faded he couldn't read it. (I told him that i wished he worked for the 407, they never seem to have any trouble) In each case I was given a ticket, and then, months later, had to go to what's called 'first attendance', where you go into a little room with a court official, explain the situation, tell them that you've cleared up the problem, and they rescind the ticket. To do that you have to take time out of your day, and use court resources that could probably be put to much better use. And in neither case did the official come to my car to see if I was telling the truth. It's a ridiculous waste, it would have been cheaper, easier, and faster, to just go to the nearest police station immediately. Heck, with the hookups in their cars now I could have just pulled up to the nearest cruiser and had them run it through and clear it. Maybe if they put police computers in doughnut shops...

[Ralph Field]

Years ago my friend and I were fishing at Port Dallousie and the wardens were checking licences. While they were checking my friend's licence, I said I guess I'm next and dug out my wallet and to my surprise my licence wasn't there. I told the warden it must still be at the bottom of my tackle box that I used on my summer vacation. I went to his truck, and as Joey mentioned, he checked on his hand held computer and told me the day on which I had purchased my current licence. Instead of telling me my day was done or fining me he told me to enjoy the rest of the day and to put my licence back into my wallet when I got home.

[Woodsman]

Until the current licensing system checking on valid licenses was not accurate.

Only when the purchace was entered into the computer system could it be checked on the computer.

In many if not most cases the stores that sold the license would not mail the info over to the ministry until they had a bunch to send in. And even when the ministry recieved the info they had to take time to enter it.

It was quite possible to have a valid license which would not show up on the computer system.

Now this info is entered at time of purchace.

Under the old system it was possible to get a license post dated to cover for not having one when checked.

 

BTW: giving a warning or a chance to bring in the license later is totally up to the LEO as they are under no obligation to do so. Sometimes peoples mouths talk themselves out of any break. Sometimes the LEO just doesn't give breaks.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Woodsman

[Steve]

while fishing a fairy remote back lake last year I saw the MNR for the first time in my life.

 

of course my wallet was at the cottage, but I had my powerboat operators card in the boat.

 

he didn't have any computer/hand held device that could run my name, however, I was very polite to him.

 

I was actually fishing a shoreline when he drove past on his ATV. So he called me to shore...in theory I could have pretended to ignore him and go on my way. Even when I realized I didn't have my wallet on me, I continued to him, ready to take my lumps so to speak.

 

Because of this he called in my name to the local dispatch and confirmed I was licensed.

 

Well, wouldn't you know it the next day the OPP were on the water. This little northern lake hadn't seen much activity in the decade we were going there, but all of a sudden two checks in two days....

 

As the OPP were checking the other two boats on the lake, I went to zip over to camp to get my wallet. As soon as I took off, the started following me. Followed me almost all the way to camp. (15 minutes). I pretended not to see them, lol.

 

Catching me just before the cottage they thought they had a score...they checked my boat, found nothing, all safety equipment on board.

 

They were confused, and asked me why I "ran". I said I didn't have my fishing license on me, and told them the story of the day before. They laughed and said they don't check fishing licenses, and because I had my powerboat operators card, they wouldn't even check Id to confirm it was me....

 

I could have stayed fishing .....

 

I guess the best thing to do, in both those cases, is to just be honest.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Steve

[BillM]

Years ago my friend and I were fishing at Port Dallousie and the wardens were checking licences. While they were checking my friend's licence, I said I guess I'm next and dug out my wallet and to my surprise my licence wasn't there. I told the warden it must still be at the bottom of my tackle box that I used on my summer vacation. I went to his truck, and as Joey mentioned, he checked on his hand held computer and told me the day on which I had purchased my current licence. Instead of telling me my day was done or fining me he told me to enjoy the rest of the day and to put my licence back into my wallet when I got home.

 

Have had this happen a few times when I've been in a rush and left my license in the wallet in the car. No big deal a few checks and I was golden. I think it really depends on what officer you get however. Some are ____'s some are not.