Q: I renewed my registration but forgot to put the sticker on my license plate, and got a ticket. Can I get it removed?
My license plate expired 7/31. I renewed well before and had the updated registration card with the new sticker in the glove box, but forgot to put it on the license plate. On 8/23, I parked in free street parking and came back to my car having a ticket for “expired tags”. Is there any grace period or leeway in this situation for the ticket to be removed/cleared? Should I go into court?
A: You can request a trial within the required time limit and go to court. You should also demand the presence of the parking attendant. If they fail to appear, the ticket should be dismissed. If they appear, show the judge proof that you renewed your tags before they expired and the judge may give you a break.
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A: Forgetting to put the sticker on your plate is not a defense to the charge, which is displaying expired tags. Emphasis on “displaying”. The ticket carries no points and is not a moving violation, so it will have zero impact on your insurance rates. In other words, paying the fine has no consequences other than it makes you a little bit poorer. But if you go to the trouble of requesting a trial and take a day off to attend court, and bring proof that your tags were current on the date of the citation and it was just careless indifference on your part in not applying the sticker, a judge will likely reduce the fine or grant you a “probation before judgment” which has the effect of removing the infraction from your driving record.
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