Security and confidentiality standards for online statement of offence payments

Last updated March 8, 2024
Reading time: 3 min

Do you have any questions concerning the security and confidentiality standards applied to the online payment of statements of offence? The following answers may prove helpful.

You can also view our other articles on confidentiality and legal notices.

Security of systems used by the city

The city’s server is equipped with a firewall that controls access to information that the municipality must keep confidential. In addition, the server has a security certificate, which ensures that all the data transmitted to it remain confidential.

Confidentiality

The information that you transmit directly online is processed in a confidential manner. The city’s Web site manages the use of personal information in accordance with the standards set out in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (L.C. 2000, c. 5) and the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information (L.R.Q., c. A-2.1).

Necessity of cookies

Any person who pays online must accept the use of cookies. A cookie is an element of information, a simple numeric sequence that a Web site sends to your browser and that is temporarily stored on the hard drive of your computer. These cookies are harmless and cease to operate as soon as you leave the Web site.

Security icons

A page is secure if an “s” is added to the URL address in the navigation bar. In this case, the URL address will start with “https” rather than the usual “http.”

Security of the transaction

All the information that you transmit when you pay online (name, information concerning your driving record or vehicle ownership, or credit card data) is numbered by a leading-edge encryption system called SSL (Secure Socket Layers protocol) that uses a 128-bit key.

Your browser must be equipped with a 128-bit cryptographic protocol. If it is not equipped with this protocol, you can download a new version through your Web browser.

Please note that it is a financial institution, and not the city, that administers the online payment option. When you are prompted to provide your credit card number, you are no longer on the city’s server, but online directly with the financial institution.

Credit card

Only Visa and MasterCard credit cards are accepted. The city provides the financial institution with your payment amount, and you provide your credit card information directly to the financial institution. As soon as you finish entering the data with the financial institution, the latter will generate an authorization number. This number is displayed on the page confirming your payment.

Use of the system

Municipal departments must transmit statements of offence issued by their agents to the municipal court. This procedure can entail delays before the information is entered in the system. When you pay a statement of offence that has not yet been entered in the system, you can be sure that the procedure is secure. You will receive a confirmation of payment at the end of the transaction.

As soon as you choose to pay online, you declare yourself guilty of the infraction alleged against you. A verdict of guilty will be considered to have been rendered. Should you wish to change your plea, only the Superior Court can hear your request. In addition, if demerit points are shown on the statement of offence issued by a police officer, the points will be added automatically to your record.

We strongly recommend that you follow the advice below before making your payment:

  • For infractions to the Highway Safety Code, the person whose name appears on the statement of offence should be the person using the online payment system.
  • For parking infractions, the vehicle owner must be the person using the online payment system.
  • Please make sure that you provide the correct statement of offence number.
  • Make sure the infraction applies to the correct vehicle.
  • Carefully enter the amount claimed if your statement of offence has not yet been entered in the system.

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