The Fine Itself: $2,000 to $10,000
Section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act sets the fine range at a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum of $10,000 for a first offence. On top of that, Ontario adds a 25% victim surcharge, so the real range is $2,500 to $12,500 when the surcharge is included.
Who Decides the Fine Amount?
If your case is resolved through a negotiated plea (the most common outcome), the fine is typically agreed upon between your legal representative and the prosecutor. If the case goes to trial and you are convicted, the Justice of the Peace determines the fine based on the circumstances of the offence.
Factors that influence the fine amount include how far over the threshold you were, the road type and conditions, whether there were aggravating factors (school zones, pedestrians, prior convictions), and the specific court’s norms. A driver caught doing 155 in a 100 will generally face a higher fine than someone caught doing 92 in a 50, even though both are stunt driving.
Can the Fine Be Reduced Below $2,000?
No. The $2,000 minimum is set by legislation. Justices of the Peace do not have the discretion to go below it on a stunt driving conviction. If $2,000 is beyond your means, the court can arrange a payment plan, but the minimum amount itself cannot be reduced.
This is exactly why the smarter strategy is not trying to reduce the fine — it is trying to reduce the charge. A stunt driving charge that gets knocked down to a regular speeding ticket might carry a fine of $300 to $500 with no licence suspension, no insurance catastrophe, and no mandatory minimum.
The Fine Is Not the Real Cost
If you are looking at a stunt driving charge and thinking “$2,000 is not great but I can handle it,” you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. The conviction triggers a chain of financial consequences that dwarf the courtroom fine.
Insurance: The Biggest Cost by Far
A standard Ontario driver pays roughly $1,824 per year for auto insurance. After a stunt driving conviction, most standard-market insurers (Intact, Aviva, TD, and others) decline to renew. The driver is pushed to the Facility Association — Ontario’s insurer of last resort — where annual premiums run $9,500 or more.
The annual premium increase is approximately $7,676. Over six years (the typical lookback period for major convictions), that adds up to a $46,056 premium penalty. That is twenty-three times the minimum court fine, paid quietly through monthly premiums instead of in a single lump sum.
The 14-Day Vehicle Impound
Your car is towed and stored the moment you are charged. Towing fees, daily storage charges, and administrative costs add up to $1,800 or more just to get your vehicle back after the mandatory 14-day impound period. This cost hits before your court date, before any finding of guilt, and regardless of the eventual outcome of the charge.
Lost Income from Licence Suspension
The immediate 30-day roadside suspension means 30 days without driving. For anyone who drives for work — delivery drivers, construction workers, sales representatives, tradespeople — that is 30 days of lost or reduced income. If convicted and a longer suspension is imposed (up to 2 years), the income loss compounds dramatically.
For gig economy drivers (Uber, Lyft, DoorDash), even the 30-day administrative suspension can trigger permanent platform deactivation, ending a revenue stream entirely.
The Full Six-Year Financial Picture
| Cost Category | Conviction | Reduced to Speeding |
|---|---|---|
| Court fine | $2,500 – $12,500 | $300 – $500 |
| Victim surcharge | Included above | Minimal |
| Impound + towing | $1,800+ | $1,800+ (already paid) |
| 6-year insurance increase | $46,000 – $90,000 | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Lost income (suspension) | $10,000 – $75,000 | $0 |
| Legal fees | N/A (or public defender) | $3,500 – $5,000 |
| Total 6-year cost | $85,000 – $185,000 | $9,000 – $14,000 |
The ROI of a successful defence is between 700% and 1,200%. Legal representation that costs $3,500 to $5,000 can prevent $75,000 to $170,000 in downstream consequences. Even when you factor in the legal fees, the math overwhelmingly favours fighting the charge.
Focus on Reducing the Charge, Not the Fine
This is the strategic insight that separates people who pay $100,000+ from people who pay $10,000: stop worrying about whether the fine will be $2,000 or $5,000 and start worrying about whether the charge stays as stunt driving at all.
The most common positive outcomes in stunt driving cases are a reduction to a regular speeding ticket (typically 29 km/h or 49 km/h over), a withdrawal of the charge entirely, or a plea to a lesser offence like careless driving or disobeying a sign. Each of these outcomes eliminates the mandatory licence suspension, keeps the driver in the standard insurance market, and avoids the six-figure financial cascade.
Between October 2024 and September 2025, 48.3% of all stunt driving charges in Ontario were withdrawn. That does not include the additional charges that were reduced to lesser offences through negotiation. The majority of people charged with stunt driving who hire legal representation end up with an outcome significantly better than what the original charge carried.
Stunt Driving Withdrawal Rates by Court
| Court Region | Charges Filed | Withdrawn | Withdrawal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo | 656 | 573 | 87.3% |
| Barrie | 660 | 520 | 78.8% |
| Durham | 400 | 269 | 67.3% |
| Mississauga | 778 | 476 | 61.2% |
| Toronto | 718 | 373 | 51.9% |
| Brampton | 1,000 | 475 | 47.5% |
| Halton | 427 | 201 | 47.1% |
| York Region | 1,226 | 142 | 11.6% |
| London | 670 | 43 | 6.4% |
| Ottawa | 496 | 22 | 4.4% |
Source: Ontario Provincial Offences Act data, October 2024 to September 2025.
The court where your charge is heard depends on where you were pulled over, not where you live. If your charge lands in Waterloo (87.3% withdrawal rate), the statistical outlook is very different from Ottawa (4.4%). Your legal representative’s familiarity with the specific court and its prosecutors matters.
Real Results from Ontario Drivers
My experience at NextLaw was very nice I must say. I am very pleased. The whole process was very easy and was able to get everything done from the comfort of my home. They attended the court for me and did everything for me. Jon was very knowledgeable and walked me through the steps of the case telling me about the worst and best case scenario. I had a stunt charge which was reduced to a speeding ticket and the case was closed. The fee that NextLaw charged I think is fair for the services that were provided.
Hp P
A stunt charge reduced to a speeding ticket — and the client specifically noted the legal fees were fair relative to the outcome. When you compare a $3,500 legal fee against the $85,000+ cost of a conviction, the value is obvious.
Dan and Jon are an absolutely wonderful team to work with. They are extremely knowledgeable and professional when dealing with traffic tickets. They were able to reduce my major charges to a minor infraction which does not hold as heavy consequences. Highly recommend NextLaw for all of your serious traffic offence matters.
Mohannad Ayoub
Highly recommend. Professional and knowledgeable for stunt driving cases. Got my stunt driving charges reduced to a simple speeding ticket. Amazing job by Dan & Jon. Bravo guys!
RobinVyde
How to Evaluate a Stunt Driving Legal Team
Check Their Google Reviews
A firm with 764 reviews at 4.9 stars has handled serious volume. Read the review text — are clients describing stunt driving outcomes specifically? Reductions to speeding tickets? Withdrawals? A review that says “stunt driving reduced to a speeding ticket” tells you more than a hundred five-star ratings with no detail.
Look at Their Website
Does the firm publish detailed content about stunt driving fines, penalties, and defence strategies? Can you see the names of the people who will represent you? Firms that invest in deep, specific content about s.172 are demonstrating expertise they stand behind publicly. A generic traffic ticket page does not tell you anything about their stunt driving experience.
Verify Their Track Record
Ask for numbers: how many stunt driving cases last year, what percentage reduced or withdrawn. A firm that handles these cases every week will answer immediately. If the response is vague, that tells you all you need to know about their volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a stunt driving ticket in Ontario?
The court fine for a stunt driving conviction ranges from $2,000 to $10,000, plus a 25% victim surcharge (making the effective range $2,500 to $12,500). However, the fine is only a fraction of the total cost. When insurance increases, impound fees, and lost income are included, the six-year financial impact ranges from $85,000 to $185,000.
Can the stunt driving fine be reduced below $2,000?
No. The $2,000 minimum is set by legislation under Section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act. Justices of the Peace do not have discretion to impose a lower fine on a stunt driving conviction. Payment plans may be available, but the minimum amount cannot be reduced.
Who decides how much I pay for a stunt driving conviction?
If your case is resolved through a negotiated plea, the fine is agreed between your legal representative and the prosecutor. If the case goes to trial, the Justice of the Peace determines the fine based on the severity of the offence, your driving record, and any aggravating or mitigating factors.
Is it better to pay the fine or fight the charge?
Fighting the charge is almost always the better financial decision. A stunt driving conviction costs $85,000 to $185,000 over six years when insurance, fines, and income loss are combined. Legal fees of $3,500 to $5,000 represent a fraction of that exposure. Provincial data shows 48.3% of charges were withdrawn between October 2024 and September 2025, and many more were reduced to lesser offences.
What is the victim surcharge on a stunt driving fine?
Ontario imposes a 25% victim surcharge on top of the base fine for all provincial offences, including stunt driving. On a $2,000 minimum fine, the surcharge adds $500, making the total $2,500. On a $10,000 maximum fine, the surcharge adds $2,500, for a total of $12,500.
How much does insurance go up after a stunt driving conviction?
Insurance rates typically increase 300% to 500% after a stunt driving conviction. Most standard insurers decline to renew, pushing drivers to the Facility Association at premiums of $9,500+ per year compared to a typical rate of approximately $1,824. Over six years, the insurance penalty alone can exceed $46,000.
Talk to NextLaw About Your Stunt Driving Charge
The fine on your ticket says $2,000 to $10,000. The real cost says $85,000 to $185,000. The gap between those two numbers is where legal representation pays for itself — many times over.
Jonathan Cohen and the team at NextLaw have reduced or withdrawn stunt driving charges for thousands of Ontario drivers. With 764 five-star Google reviews, clients describe the same pattern: clear explanations, fair fees, and outcomes that protect their licence and their wallet.
Book your free consultation with NextLaw today and let us review your charge. No obligation, no pressure, and no cost for the initial call.
Phone: 1-833-639-8529
Online: https://stunt-call.nextlaw.ca
