To drive a vehicle, you need to register it with your home state. However, people often forget to take care of this important step. They may find themselves pulled over and given a ticket. If this happens to you, you will likely be wondering if you need a traffic lawyers help or not. How severe are the penalties for driving without car registration in California? How likely is a ticket?
When You Need a Registration
If you are driving on public roads, you need your vehicle to be registered. Public roads include pretty much all of them, even roads that are privately owned. This is because, for the purposes of traffic enforcement, any road that connects to a public road can be considered public. Therefore, you can potentially get a ticket for driving without a registration even when on your own property.
Here`s What Happens If You Are Unregistered
If you are driving with an unregistered vehicle and get pulled over, the police officer may issue you a ticket. It is not uncommon to get given a warning if you are within 180 days of originally purchasing the vehicle. However, this is more of a courtesy than a rule. The worst-case scenario is that you get a ticket. Obviously, your behavior during the traffic stop can make the situation better or worse for yourself.
The Penalties
The fine for this ticket is fairly low. In California, you will be charged a base fine of $25 plus assessments. The latter part can add four to nine times the amount of the base ticket. Still, this is much less than most traffic tickets. Better yet, you will not receive points against your license. Therefore, this type of ticket is treated with relatively little severity.
If you have been driving without a valid registration for a long time, you may find that you get the book thrown at you. This can potentially add up in cost including interest charges on fines and fees.
However, the most challenging part of the process is the bureaucracy. You may need to look up some long beach traffic violation lawyers just to help you handle the red tape. If you have been driving an unregistered vehicle for more than 90 days, the state can garnish your wages to get the various fines and taxes you owe.
Worse still, you have to appear in court if you receive a ticket. Even if you fix the issue, you will need to notify the court. Failing to do this will result in you getting a failure to appear charge. This could include additional fines and assessments as well as license suspension. In short, it is important to handle the issue promptly.
Learn More
If you are driving around Fresno, for example, and get an unregistered vehicle ticket, make sure you look up a traffic ticket attorney Fresno residents trust.
Even though the ticket itself is fairly minor, you want to be completely sure that you have handled all your filings. Otherwise, you may find yourself in more trouble than you started. Make sure you understand the full situation and stay on top of the court requirements.
