Private Property Parking Enforcement in Ontario

On private property in Ontario, parking rules are enforced through the city’s parking by-law. The owner posts signs and authorizes enforcement, and each city decides who may issue a ticket and whether a vehicle can be towed. So a property manager’s first job is to confirm the local process, then set up signs, written authority, records and a certified tow provider.

Key facts

• Toronto requires a Private Parking Enforcement Agency licence when a business issues tags, tickets or notices on someone else’s private property.
• In Toronto, certified agency staff may issue city penalty notices and authorize tows only under the conditions set by the municipal by-law.
• In Windsor, the City or its contractor may issue administrative penalties on private lots at the owner’s or manager’s request when clear signs are in place.
• The City of Windsor does not tow vehicles from private properties.
• Ontario has required tow and vehicle storage operators to hold a provincial certificate since January 1, 2024, and tow truck drivers since July 1, 2024.
• Accure Security’s parking enforcement service, for private property only, includes scheduled and randomized patrols, violation notices, photo and time-stamped records, tow provider coordination, signage reviews and shift reporting.

Who can issue a parking ticket on private property?

The answer depends on the municipality. Toronto allows a licensed private enforcement agency to issue city penalty notices through staff certified through the Toronto Police program. Windsor uses the City or its contractor for private-property administrative penalties when the owner or manager requests enforcement.

Toronto also distinguishes between a business acting for another property owner and enforcement carried out in-house on the owner’s own property. A business issuing tags, tickets or notices for someone else needs a Private Parking Enforcement Agency licence.

Municipality	What the rules say	What the property owner should confirm
Toronto	Licensed agency staff certified through the Toronto Police program may issue city penalty notices and authorize tows under the by-law’s conditions.	Agency licensing, certification, approved signs and the applicable by-law process.
Windsor	The City or its contractor issues administrative penalties at the owner’s or manager’s request. The City does not tow from private properties.	Clear signs and a request from the owner or manager.

Toronto’s municipal rules also limit what certified agency staff may issue. The permitted documents include a penalty notice, a Toronto Police Service tow card or a warning notice. Review Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 150 before setting up a Toronto program.

What is the difference between a warning notice and a city penalty notice?

A warning or violation notice records a parking breach and tells the vehicle owner what the property’s rules require. A city penalty notice is issued under the municipality’s by-law process. They are not interchangeable, and a private notice should not be described as a fine.

The distinction matters because a property manager cannot assume that a patrol company may issue a city penalty notice. The city may require a specific licence, certification, form or enforcement process. The property’s signage and the owner’s authority must also match the rules being applied.

Before coverage begins, confirm whether the intended response is a warning, a private parking violation notice or a city-issued penalty notice. Put that decision in the written site instructions and keep records that show the location, time, posted condition and vehicle involved.

What are the rules for towing from private property?

Towing is controlled by both municipal rules and Ontario’s towing requirements. A property should use its designated tow provider, confirm that a tow is permitted, and avoid treating a patrol visit as automatic authorization to remove a vehicle.

Ontario’s towing rights guidance states that tow and storage operators need a certificate, and tow truck drivers need certification. According to the Ontario government, the certificate requirement for tow and storage operators began January 1, 2024, and driver certification began July 1, 2024.

Consent is required unless the tow is started by police or an authorized official. The towing rules also require rates to be disclosed before service and an itemized invoice before payment. The property owner should confirm the provider’s credentials and process before directing anyone to arrange a tow.

Municipal rules add their own limits. Under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 915, parking against the conditions on posted signs counts as parking without the owner’s consent, and a tow by a city appointee who is not police staff needs the property inspected and approved by the Chief of Police, with approved signs. Windsor states that it will not tow vehicles from private properties at all. Do not apply one city’s process to another city.

What should a property owner set up first?

Start with the site rules, written authority and records. Clear signage alone does not create one province-wide enforcement process; the city’s by-law determines who may issue a city notice and whether towing is available.

Owner checklist

1. Review the signs. Confirm that signs clearly state the parking conditions, restrictions and consequences that apply to the lot.
2. Write the authority. Record who owns or manages the property, who may request enforcement and what type of notice may be issued.
3. Confirm the city process. Check whether the municipality uses its own staff, a contractor or a licensed agency, and identify any certification requirements.
4. Choose the tow provider. If towing is permitted, name the designated provider and confirm its provincial certificates, driver certification and documentation process.
5. Set up photo records. Require the location, time, posted sign and vehicle details to be recorded for each incident.
6. Set coverage windows. Decide whether the lot needs peak-period, overnight, weekend or 24/7 coverage.

What does a security patrol do on a private lot?

A security patrol checks the property during the agreed coverage windows, documents parking conditions and follows the owner’s written process. It does not replace the municipality’s authority or automatically create the power to issue city penalty notices or arrange a tow.

Accure Security’s parking enforcement service includes scheduled and randomized lot patrols, parking violation notice issuance, photo and time-stamped documentation, tow company coordination, signage review and recommendations, and incident and shift reporting. It is offered for condominiums, commercial plazas, office buildings, industrial parks, residential complexes, private lots and driveways.

Before coverage begins, Accure confirms signage, by-law authority and enforcement rules with the property owner or manager. Coverage can be scheduled for peak windows, overnight periods, weekends or 24/7. For a service overview, review Accure’s private-property parking enforcement service. Where a broader patrol response is needed, see its mobile patrol and alarm response service.

Why one city’s process does not carry over

Each municipality sets its own private property process, so a setup that works on a Toronto plaza may not work on a Windsor lot. Toronto relies on licensed agencies and certified staff, with police approval before tows; Windsor tickets private lots through the City or its contractor and does not tow from them.

For a property with lots in several cities, keep one set of site instructions per city: the notice type allowed, who may request enforcement, the sign wording and the tow arrangement, if any. Review them whenever the city changes its by-law or the property changes its parking rules.

For cameras, permit systems and other tools on a lot, see Accure’s parking enforcement technology checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Is private property parking enforcement the same across Ontario?

No. Private property parking enforcement depends on the municipality’s parking by-law. Toronto requires a licence when a business issues notices for someone else’s property and has certification rules for city penalty notices. Windsor uses the City or its contractor at the owner’s request and does not tow from private properties. Confirm the local process before coverage begins.

Can a private company issue a city penalty notice in Toronto?

Only within Toronto’s defined process. A business issuing tags, tickets or notices on someone else’s private property needs a Private Parking Enforcement Agency licence. Staff certified through the Toronto Police program may issue city penalty notices under the municipal by-law’s conditions. Do not assume that a patrol company can issue city notices without confirming its licence and certification status.

Does a parking violation notice count as a fine?

No. A private parking violation notice is not the same as a city penalty notice and should not be described as a fine. A warning or violation notice records a breach of the property’s posted rules. A city penalty notice comes through the municipality’s by-law process. The property owner should define the permitted notice type in written instructions before enforcement starts.

Can a security patrol arrange a tow from a private lot?

A patrol cannot assume that towing is permitted. The property must follow the municipality’s rules, use its designated tow provider and confirm the provider’s provincial certificates and driver certification. Ontario rules address consent, rates before service and itemized invoices. Windsor does not tow from private properties, so a process used elsewhere cannot simply be transferred to Windsor.

What should I prepare before hiring parking enforcement?

Prepare clear signs, written authority, the required municipal process, a designated tow provider where applicable and a record standard for photos and timestamps. Also decide when coverage is needed and whether the response is a warning, private violation notice or city penalty notice. These details let the service follow the property’s rules instead of making assumptions on site.

Next, review Accure Security’s private-property parking enforcement service and prepare your site’s signs, authority and coverage requirements for discussion.