The Provincial Offences Act, Charges, & Cardy Legal Services

What is the Provincial Offences Act (POA)?

The Provincial Offences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.33 in Ontario is a provincial statute that governs all other provincially enacted statutes that contain sections made within them that create offences. Commonly discussed simply by its abbreviated short-form, the “POA”, it is an Act of Legislature that sets out procedures for enforcing and prosecuting provincially laid tickets, charges, or offences.

The Provincial Offences Act Governs a Vast Amount of Statutes

While the POA has its hand in many provincial statutes, it also provides municipal by-laws their powers. Outside of these varying by-laws, there are hundreds of statutes created under the Act in Ontario.

Listed below are of some of the more common POA statutes:

Highway Traffic Act (HTA)

The HTA is an example of an Act governed by the Provincial Offences Act. It includes tickets and summons for traffic tickets and will always involve a driver.

CHARGES

Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act (CAIA)

The CAIA also receives its authority from the POA and is designed to protect the public while ensuring that all motor vehicles are insured for liability.

CHARGES (coming soon)

The Cannabis Control Act regulates legal Cannabis in Ontario

Cannabis Control Act (CCA)

The CCA regulates legal Cannabis in the province of Ontario. It creates offences and penalties for how it is to be possessed, sold, consumed, or distributed.

CHARGES (coming soon)

The Crown Forest Sustainability Act maintains healthy Ontario forests.

Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA)

The CFSA is another provincial statute aimed at promoting sustainable forest management in Ontario. It focuses on the interaction of logging companies and Crown land to maintain healthy forests.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act (FWCA)

The FWCA safeguards Ontario’s fish and wildlife so that its resources are not depleted. It was enacted to properly manage and sustain Ontario’s natural resources for present and future generations.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Liquor Licence & Control Act (LLCA)

The LLCA regulates the sale, possession, and the safe consumption of alcohol in Ontario. In November 2021, it replaced Ontario’s older Liquor Licence Act and became the province’s main law of the land.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Trespass to Property Act (TPA)

The TPA was enacted to deal with the unauthorized entry, or remaining on a property designated as being private. It provides property owners, occupiers, or tenants the right to control who enters or who remains on the property.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Dog Owners' Liability Act (DOLA)

The DOLA has a primary focus on holding individuals accountable for the actions of their pets. It creates list of legal proceedings, remedies, and precautions for owners to prevent their dog from biting, or attacking.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Environmental Protection Act (EPA)

The EPA grants the Ontario government a broad range of powers to maintain and regulate the province’s natural environment. Its goal is to prevent and control pollution in Ontario’s air, water, and land.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Off-Road Vehicles Act (ORVA)

ORVA provides Ontario with a legal framework for the safe and regulated operation of off-road vehicles, such as ATVs, UTVs, and other motorized recreational or utility machines, aiming to protect the environment.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Tobacco Tax Act (TTA)

The TTA generates revenue for the province, regulates the legal distribution of tobacco, combat the contraband market, and contributes to public health objectives by discouraging tobacco consumption through taxation.

CHARGES (coming soon)

The Ontario Electrical Safety Code and its Electrical Safety Authority

Electrical Safety Code (ESC)

The ESC is a regulation made under the Electricity Act 1998 that sets the standards for safe electrical work in the province of Ontario. The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) acts as Ontario’s safety regulator.

CHARGES (coming soon)

Community-based accolades:

Did you know that our KFL&A community voted Cardy Legal Services into the top services category for the CommunityVotes and Best of Kingston & Area presented by the Kawartha Credit Union campaigns? Platinum level voting was received from the public for CommunityVotes in 2021, 2023, and 2024, with CLS being voted into the top category with the Best of Kingston & Area in 2025!