Guide · Last reviewed October 7, 2026
AODA penalties for not filing: what actually happens.
The direct answer: failing to file your accessibility compliance report is a contravention of Ontario's accessibility law — not, by itself, a criminal offence. What usually happens first is a director's order telling you to file, which can carry an administrative penalty. The scary "$100,000 per day" figure is real, but it applies in far narrower circumstances than most articles suggest.
How enforcement actually works, step by step
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The contravention
You miss the filing
The province's reporting system records who filed and who didn't. At this stage you've contravened the reporting duty — no fine has been issued yet.
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Director's order
You're ordered to comply
A director can order you to file the report — and can attach an administrative penalty to that order. This is the most common enforcement outcome for a missed filing.
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Administrative penalty
The actual fine scale
Penalties are set on a grid based on severity of impact and your contravention history: $200–$2,000 for individuals and unincorporated organizations, $500–$15,000 for corporations. Only where both impact and history are rated "major" can the penalty run daily — up to $50,000/day (individuals) or $100,000/day (corporations). You can seek review of the order, and appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal.
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Offences (rare)
When it becomes a court matter
It becomes an offence — prosecuted in court — if you defy a director's order or file false or misleading information. On conviction: up to $50,000 per day for individuals, $100,000 per day for corporations. Directors and officers have a personal duty to prevent the corporation's offence, with personal liability up to $50,000 per day on conviction.
Three things people get wrong
"Missing the deadline = $100K/day"
No. Missing the filing triggers the order-and-penalty process above. The per-day maximums require either a "major/major" rating or a court conviction.
"Nobody actually gets penalized"
Also wrong. The province runs audits and inspections, inspectors can enter premises and demand documents, and directors can review any filed report. Enforcement is real even when it doesn't make headlines.
"Filing the report makes us fully compliant"
The report is your signed statement that you've met your requirements — the province doesn't pre-verify it. A filed report doesn't protect you if an audit later finds actual non-compliance, and filing false information is itself an offence. Answer honestly; fix what's missing first.
The cheapest way out of this page
A missed or upcoming filing is a $695 fixed-fee problem with DueFiled — versus an order, a penalty, and a very bad week. Get filed → Already missed a deadline? Here's what to do now →
Sources
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 — ss.14–15 (reporting duty, certification), s.21 (director's orders), s.37 (offences)
- Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (O. Reg. 191/11) — Part V, ss.83–86 (administrative penalties)
Regulatory information is current as of the review date above. Legislation prevails over any summary — this guide is not legal advice.
$695 now beats a penalty later.
Fixed fee. About 5 business days. Filed before December 31, 2026 — guaranteed.
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