No valid vehicle registration, expired vehicle registration and attaching an unassigned registration tag to your car are three of the bigger issues Tampa drivers have to deal with when it comes to vehicle registration. Unfortunately, all three of these registration issues come with potential jail time—a punishment that is even more alarming when you think of the fact that many Tampa drivers may not even be aware of the offense! The purpose behind requiring Tampa drivers to register their car every year is two-fold: to help establish clear ownership and to provide an additional source of revenue for the state of Florida. At the time of registering your car, be sure to bring proof of insurance and financial responsibility with you or you may be turned away.
Perhaps one of the bigger issues Tampa drivers face when it comes to vehicle registration is those scenarios in which the driver is driving around with expired vehicle registration. Florida police can find this out in a number of ways, including: the tag on your car (hence the different colors every year), running your license plate and when the officer asks for your registration when you are pulled over. The problem is that many drivers may not even be aware that their registration is expired and unfortunately, this is not an excuse the Tampa police readily accept.
In Tampa, you should receive notice in the mail informing you of the fees associated with the yearly registration as well as the date you need to send payment in by. Many of you have probably noticed that the fees seem to go up every year too! If you are curious, you can also look at your current registration to see when it is set to expire. Missing the due date, even in those scenarios in which you did not receive the notice is simply not a valid excuse in this case.
Here’s a breakdown of the penalties associated with an expired vehicle registration in Tampa:
- If it has been less than six months since your registration expired and this has not happened to you before, you will receive a moving violation (noncriminal in nature). Don’t forget to renew your registration after this wake-up call!
- In those scenarios in which this is not your first expired registration issue, and it has been more than six months, then this offense will be classified was a second degree misdemeanor and you could potentially spend sixty days in jail!
We know that registering your vehicle can seem like a chore, but it is a chore that you nevertheless need to do. In addition to the annoying fines and other punishments, you do not want the points from any traffic ticket on your driving record. The attorneys at Finebloom & Haenel see clients with expired registration tickets all the time and will work hard to get you the best results possible. If you have recently been cited for driving with an expired vehicle registration in Tampa, give us a call today for a free consultation.
