Q: Can a passenger be ticketed for vehicle violations in DC?
A few days ago, I was a passenger in a car driven by a friend when we were pulled over due to expired tags. The tags didn't match the car. My friend didn't have a driver's license and although I only have a permit, the officers issued me tickets for failure to provide insurance, failure to provide registration, driving a car without proper tags, and allowing an unlicensed driver to drive. Can I be legally issued these tickets even though I wasn't the one driving, it's not my car, and I didn't know he was unlicensed? The officers did not provide an explanation or ask my friend for his details.
A: If you didn't own the car, and you were not driving, you should not have gotten the tickets. You have nothing to do with the car or the driving. You can get the tickets tossed.
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
