Montréal council advances bill to raise parking fines

Summary#

Montréal City Council adopted a bylaw amending the Règlement fixant le montant des amendes à l’égard des infractions en matière de stationnement ou d’immobilisation des véhicules (18-020). The changes raise fines for five categories of parking offences; the city’s stated goal is to deter violations and support safety and traffic flow.

  • General illegal-parking fines rise from $65 to $67.
  • Fines for double parking, parking beside a parked vehicle, or obstructing traffic rise from $77 to $79.
  • Fines for parking in a no-stopping zone outside a reserved lane, or in a reserved lane, rise from $293 to $299.
  • Fines for parking in a space reserved for people with disabilities rise from $77 to $79.
  • The bylaw takes effect when published. The publication date is not given in the materials.

What it means for you#

  • Drivers: If you receive a ticket for one of these offences after the bylaw takes effect, the fine will be higher by $2 or $6, depending on the offence.
  • People who receive a ticket: Court fees are also charged. The Québec government sets those fees, which increase progressively with the fine amount; the materials do not give the new total cost of a ticket.
  • The public: The decision changes fine amounts, not the underlying parking rules.

Money#

The city preliminarily estimates about $2.2 million in additional fine revenue in 2026.

  • Montréal’s municipal court and Agence de mobilité durable must adjust their systems before the bylaw takes effect.
  • The materials give no cost estimate for those system changes.

What is unclear#

  • The exact publication date—and therefore the date the new fines begin—is not stated.
  • The $2.2 million revenue estimate is preliminary. The materials do not explain its assumptions or how much revenue would result if ticket numbers change.
  • The materials do not provide evidence on whether the higher fines will reduce violations or improve safety.

Case for#

  • City staff say stronger fines are intended to deter parking violations that can obstruct sightlines, maintenance work, reserved spaces, and traffic.
  • The increases are small for general and several specific offences, while the larger increases apply to offences with fines already set at $293.

Case against#

  • Higher fines increase the amount drivers must pay, and court fees may also rise with the fine.
  • The city expects additional revenue, but the materials do not show whether the increases will change driver behaviour or mainly increase payments.