It is very important that whenever you drive a vehicle it has registration and is insured. Under Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 401, every car on the road must be registered and New York requires registration renewal once every two years. Your car must pass an annual safety inspection in order for your registration to be renewed.
However, it is important to understand that you don’t need to be driving your vehicle – or even behind the wheel – to get in trouble for having an expired registration tag. Even if your car is parked on the street a police officer can check the license plate and run it to see if your car has up-to-date registration.
Simply by running your license plate police officers have access to pull up any citations, criminal history and information on the owner of the vehicle, including their address.
Getting Pulled Over for an Expired Registration
If you get pulled over and have failed to renew your vehicle registration, it is considered a non-moving violation. Although no points will be applied to your license, you will in fact be fined.
- If your registration has been expired for less than 60 days the fine is at least $40 and can go up to $300 and an automatic $93 surcharge.
- If your registration has been expired for more than 60 days the fine is at least $70 and can go up to $300 along with the $93 surcharge.
Registering Your NY Vehicle
New York residents who have their name as the owner of a vehicle must register that vehicle with the State of New York. Individuals who move to New York and have become new state residents are given 30 days to have their vehicle registered with the state.
If you are purchasing a used vehicle from another owner it is important that the current owner provides you with proof of their legal ownership and proof that they are transferring that ownership to you.
Renewing Your NY Vehicle Registration
About 45-60 days prior to the expiration of your vehicle, New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will send out a renewal notice at which time it is important to check when your registration is set to expire. You have several different options for renewing your vehicle such as phone, online, by mail, or in person at the DMV.
AutoTrafficTickets.com Helps Those in New York Who Wish to Challenge a Ticket for Driving with an Expired Registration Tag
Speaking with a traffic defense attorney can provide you with invaluable information about your legal driving status. Sometimes police officers issue multiple tickets along with a ticket for failing to renew registration.
If you have been issued a non-moving violation for failing to renew your registration and wish to challenge the existence of the ticket, AutoTrafficTickets.com can help. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!
Posted in: Expired Registration, Traffic Violations