What is the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS)?
Starting October 31, 2025, the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) is an improved way to pay and dispute Penalty Notices (tickets) for Parking and By-Law violations. The process allows the Township of Russell to manage disputes regarding Penalty Notices instead of the provincial courts.How AMPS Works
If you receive a Penalty Notice you have two options:
Pay within fifteen (15) days of the Penalty Notice being issued.
a) Online through our portal.
- VISA, MasterCard and American Express are accepted
- Prepaid or reloadable credit cards or gift cards cannot be used
- A non-refundable service fee of 5.9% + $0.30 applies per ticket in addition to any other service charge applied by your financial institution.
b) By Mail or in our 24 Hour Drop Box at Township of Russell, 717 Notre Dame Street, Embrun ON K0A 1W1.
When sending a payment in the mail:
- Do not send cash;
- Include the Penalty Notice number with your payment;
- Make cheques and money orders payable to the Township of Russell;
- Your payment will only be considered complete when we receive and process it at Town Hall, not on the postmarked date.
c) In person at the Public Safety and Enforcement office, 225 Industrial Street, Embrun. Open Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., (closed daily between 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.)
Dispute the Penalty Notice.
A Person’s Request for a Review by a Screening Officer shall be exercised by a submission by email or mail, using the Request for Review Form, attached hereto as Schedule “C”.
Change an Appointment
If you wish to change your screening of hearing appointment with respect to your penalty notice, please contact the Township of Russell Public Safety and Enforcement Department at 613-443-3066, extension 8.
| What is different? |
| Prior to AMPS, ticket disputes were handled through the judicial system, and it could take up to a year to receive a hearing date in court. Under AMPS, Penalty Notice disputes are handled by the Township or Russell, through initial Screening Review and Hearing. With AMPS replacing the judicial process for appealing tickets, valuable provincial court time will be made available for more serious matters. The Screening officer is an individual that works for the Township of Russell and appointed by the Director of Public Safety and Enforcement Department. Penalty Notices issued under AMPS are deemed served, if issued at the time of the violation, hand delivered, sent by registered mail, or sent via email to the individual. |
| Failure to respond to a Penalty Notice |
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If you do not respond to the Penalty Notice by the due date — either by paying the penalty or scheduling a Screening Review — you automatically waive your right to a review, and the Administrative Penalty is deemed affirmed and not subject to review. For more information, contact the Township of Russell at 613-443-3066 ext. 8 or email bylaws.reglements@russell.ca. |
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How to dispute a Penalty Notice |
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A Person’s Request for a Review by Screening Officer shall be exercised by a submission by email or mail, using the Request for Review Form, attached hereto as Schedule “C”. Fillable Screening Form a) On-line through our Portal or, b) In-person at: The Township of Russell 225 Industriel Street Embrun, ON K0A 1W1 Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding statutory holidays) Closed daily from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
If the fifteen (15) days expires and no application has been made for a Screening review, and there are satisfactory reasons to issue an extension, such extension request must be submitted to the Screening Officer no later than forty-five (45) days after the Penalty Notice is issued. Immediately beyond the forty-five (45) days, if no Screening request has been made and payment has not been received, the Penalty Notice will be affirmed. At the appointment with the Screening Officer, the Screening Officer may Affirm, Amend, Rescind, or Extend the Penalty Notice. If an individual is not satisfied with the decision of the Screening Officer, the person can request to have the matter heard by a Hearing Officer. The Hearing Officer is an individual appointed by Council and is not an employee with the Township of Russell. A Screening review must take place before a Hearing can be requested. |
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How to appeal the decision of a Screening Officer |
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An individual may request a review of the Screening Decision by a Hearings Officer. The individual must request in writing a review by a Hearings Officer within fifteen (15) days from the Screening Decision date. Request in writing a review with a Hearing Officer by selecting one of the options below: a) During your Screening Review b) In-person with the Screening Officer at: The Township of Russell 225 Industriel Street Embrun, ON K0A 1W1 Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding statutory holidays) When you request a Hearing Review and fail to appear or remain at your scheduled In-Person Hearing until your matter has been determined by the Hearing Officer, you will be deemed to have abandoned your request for a Hearing, the Administrative Penalty will be affirmed, and you will be liable for an additional non-appearance fee as per the AMPS By-Law. The Hearing Review will take place depending on the availability of the Hearing Officer. The Hearing Officer may Affirm, Amend, Rescind, or Extend the time for payment. The Hearing Officer's decision is final. An individual who receives an upheld decision in a review by a Hearing Officer in relation to a Penalty Notice issued through AMPS shall be responsible for an additional Adjudication fee of $75.00. Please note additional administrative fees will be charged under the AMPS system for:
For full details of the process, please refer to By-Law 2025-080. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 613-443-3033 Extension 8 or email: bylaws.reglements@russell.ca. |
Important Notice:
Failure to act on this Penalty Notice will result in additional administrative fees owing to the Township of Russell.
a) If this is a Parking Penalty Notice, it may also result in the denial of your Ontario License plate renewal and additional costs owing to the Province of Ontario.
b) For all other Penalty Notices, it may be collected in the same manner as municipal taxes and/or sent to collections.
Payment must be received on or by the applicable due date.
By-Law
View the full AMPS By-Law 2025-080
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is a Penalty Notice? |
| A Penalty Notice is a ticket issued within the Township of Russell by a Public Safety and Enforcement Officer. |
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Why did the Township of Russell implement the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) program? |
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The Administrative Penalties System (AMPS) was launched to help the strained Provincial Offences Court system by simplifying the process and allowing municipalities such as the Township of Russell to resolve parking violations internally. Keeping parking matters within the crowded court system could result in tickets taking months to resolve. Under the AMPS system, parking matters can be resolved within weeks. AMPS is more effective because:
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How is a Penalty Notice issued? |
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A Penalty Notice can be issued by a Public Safety and Enforcement officer for any offence to a municipal bylaw. The Penalty Notice can be served by several method:
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I don't agree with the Penalty Notice I've received; can I dispute it? |
| Yes. To dispute a Penalty Notice, complete the online form and tell us why you think the ticket is invalid, why any fees should be cancelled or reduced, and/or why you need more time to pay the penalty notice. You will have the opportunity to provide evidence such as photographs to support your claims. |
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How much time do I have to dispute my Penalty Notice? |
| If you believe you have received a Penalty Notice in error or have special circumstances, you have fifteen (15) days from the date you received your Penalty Notice (ticket) to request a review by completing the Schedule “C”. |
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What if I missed the deadline to schedule a screening review? |
| The Screening Officer may only extend the time to request a review of a Penalty Notice of an administrative penalty where the recipient demonstrates on a balance of probabilities the existence of extenuating circumstances that warrant the extension of time. For more information, email bylaws.reglements@russell.ca or call 613-443-3066 extension 8. |
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What happens if I don’t attend my scheduled screening review or hearing review? |
| If you do not attend your scheduled appointment, the Penalty Notice will be affirmed, and the vehicle’s registered owner will be required to pay a fee for failing to attend the appointment. The fee for failure to appear at a scheduled screening review appointment is $100 and $100 for a hearing review appointment. |
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What if I am not satisfied with the Screening Officer’s decision? |
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If the matter is still in dispute following the review by the Screening Officer, you can request a review by a Hearing Officer before the payment due date listed on your screening decision notice. The Hearing Officer’s decision is final. Request a review by completing the Schedule “C”. |
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Can someone else act on my behalf during a screening review or hearing review appointment? |
| Yes. You will need to authorize someone to act as your representative during a screening review or hearing review appointment. Please complete the Authorization to Act as an Agent form and submit to bylaws.reglements@russell.ca prior to the scheduled appointment. |
| What will happen if I ignore the Penalty Notice? |
| If you do not choose one of the options listed on the back of your Penalty Notice, the Township of Russell will assume you have decided not to dispute the Penalty Notice, and you may be required to pay additional administrative fees. Additionally, if the Penalty Notice and administrative fees remain unpaid on a parking infraction, a notice of default will be sent to a collection agency and to the Ministry of Transportation which will result in your Ontario Vehicle Permit renewal being denied. |
| My Penalty Notice is past due notice, now what? |
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If your Penalty Notice is past due, this means that the Township of Russell has not received payment of the Penalty Notice, or you have not requested a screening review appointment before the deadline. You are no longer eligible to request a screening review appointment. Immediate action must be taken to avoid additional administrative fees. For more information, please email bylaws.reglements@russell.ca or call 613-443-3066, extension 8. |
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I just received a final notice, now what? |
| If you have received a final notice, this means that the Township of Russell has not received payment of the Penalty Notice. You must take action to avoid paying at the Ministry of Transportation when you renew your Ontario Vehicle Permit or for the amount to be sent to a collection agency. |