What are the AODA fines?
Most AODA enforcement uses administrative penalties from O. Reg. 191/11. For a corporation they range from $500 to $15,000, based on how serious the breach is and its history. The $100,000-a-day figure is real, but it is a maximum for offences under the Act or for repeat, major breaches, not the starting price.
Search for AODA fines and you will mostly find "$100,000 per day" in large type, often on a page selling something. It is not wrong. It is just the top of the scale presented as the whole scale, which is a bit like quoting the speed limit on the autobahn when someone asks about parking tickets.
Here is what the Act and the regulation actually say. Section numbers are included so you can check every line.
There are two kinds of AODA penalty
- Administrative penalties are ordered by a director appointed under the Act when an organization does not meet a requirement. The amounts are set by section 83 and Schedules 2 and 3 of O. Reg. 191/11.
- Offences are prosecuted in court under section 37 of the Act: giving false or misleading information in a report, ignoring an order, or intimidating someone who seeks enforcement.
The administrative penalty schedule
A director works out three things, then reads the amount off a table:
- Impact. Minor if it breaks an administrative requirement. Moderate if it breaks a requirement for organizational preparedness. Major if it breaks a priority requirement, including anything that may pose a health or safety risk to people with disabilities.
- History. The organization's contravention history over the current two reporting cycles.
- Who. A corporation, or an individual or unincorporated organization.
| Contravention history | Impact major | Impact moderate | Impact minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | $15,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 |
| Moderate | $10,000 | $5,000 | $2,500 |
| Minor | $2,000 | $1,000 | $500 |
| Contravention history | Impact major | Impact moderate | Impact minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | $2,000 | $1,000 | $500 |
| Moderate | $1,000 | $500 | $250 |
| Minor | $500 | $250 | $200 |
Penalties are due within 30 days of the order, unless the order gives longer.
When a penalty becomes $100,000 a day
Section 83 lets a director treat the scheduled amount as a daily penalty only when both the impact of the contravention and the organization's history are major. Even then it is capped at $100,000 for a corporation and $50,000 for an individual or unincorporated organization.
In other words: a serious breach, by an organization with a serious track record, that keeps going. Not a first-time missing accessibility notice.
Offences and court fines under section 37
It is an offence to:
- give false or misleading information in an accessibility report, or to a director
- fail to comply with an order made by a director or the tribunal
- intimidate, coerce, penalize or discriminate against someone for seeking enforcement, co-operating with inspectors or providing information
On conviction, a person can be fined up to $50,000 for each day or part of a day the offence continues. A corporation can be fined up to $100,000 for each day or part of a day.
Notice what is on that list: filing a report that is not true. That is why the compliance report deserves real evidence behind every answer.
Are directors and officers personally on the hook?
Section 37 gives every director and officer of a corporation a duty to take all reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing one of those offences. A director or officer who fails that duty can be fined up to $50,000 for each day.
Can you review or appeal an AODA penalty?
Yes. You can ask for a review of the order. A director reviewing it may reduce the penalty but cannot increase it, and must reduce a penalty that is excessive or punitive in the circumstances. You can also appeal to the tribunal designated under the Act. If you seek a review or appeal, payment is due within 30 days after it is decided, unless the order says otherwise.
How to stay out of the schedule entirely
- Know your size and the requirements that come with it.
- Train people, and keep a simple record even if you are under 50.
- File the compliance report on time, and only certify what is true.
- Fix the website if you have 50 or more employees. It is the one that usually needs technical help, so start early.
- Respond to orders. Ignoring one is an offence on its own.
Questions about AODA fines
What are the fines for not complying with the AODA?
Most enforcement uses administrative penalties set out in O. Reg. 191/11. For corporations they range from $500 to $15,000, depending on how serious the breach is and the organization's history. Larger fines apply to offences under the Act itself, such as filing false information.
Can a business really be fined $100,000 a day under the AODA?
It is possible, but not by default. A court can fine a corporation up to $100,000 for each day of an offence, such as giving false information in a report or ignoring an order. A director can also turn an administrative penalty into a daily penalty up to $100,000, but only when both the impact and the contravention history are major.
Who decides the size of an AODA penalty?
A director appointed under the Act. The director rates the impact as minor (an administrative requirement), moderate (organizational preparedness) or major (a priority requirement, including health or safety risks), looks at the history over the current two reporting cycles, then applies the schedule in the regulation.
Can I appeal an AODA penalty?
Yes. You can ask for a review of the order, and the director must reduce a penalty that is excessive or punitive in the circumstances. You can also appeal to the tribunal designated under the Act. Penalties are due within 30 days unless the order says otherwise.
Are directors and officers personally liable under the AODA?
They can be. Section 37 says every director or officer of a corporation must take all reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence. Failing that duty is itself an offence, with a fine of up to $50,000 for each day.
Official sources
Checked on November 5, 2026: AODA section 37 and O. Reg. 191/11 section 83 to 85 and Schedules 2 and 3.
Ontario laws (e-Laws)
Government of Ontario
- Accessibility rules for businesses and non-profits (opens in a new tab)
- Completing your accessibility compliance report (opens in a new tab)
- Accessibility Compliance Reporting Portal (opens in a new tab)
- How to make websites accessible (opens in a new tab)
- How to train your staff on accessibility (opens in a new tab)
- About accessibility laws (opens in a new tab)
Rather fix the website than read Schedule 3 again?
We test against WCAG 2.0 Level AA by hand and with screen readers, fix what fails and document it.
See AODA website complianceContinue the AODA Guide
AODA Compliance Report 2026: Who Files by December 31 and How
Ontario businesses with 20+ employees file by December 31, 2026. What you need, the portal steps and what your senior officer certifies.
AODA Requirements by Business Size
Pick your employee count and see which AODA duties apply at 1 to 19, 20 to 49 and 50+ employees, with the regulation section for each.
What Is the AODA? Meaning, the 5 Standards and Who It Covers
What AODA stands for, what the law is for, the five standards in O. Reg. 191/11, who it applies to and how it works with the Code.