It is easy to forget to renew your vehicle’s registration, but the penalties for driving with an expired registration can be serious. Driving with expired tags is considered a Class 3 misdemeanor in North Carolina and can result in fines, the revocation of your driver’s license, and even an arrest if you fail to appear in court.
When you find yourself facing a charge for driving with an expired registration, it’s crucial to have a dedicated legal advocate on your side. This is where Attorney Joel Hancock steps in. He is committed to fighting for your rights and ensuring the best possible outcome for your case. The sooner you arrange a free case evaluation, the sooner he can start managing your case.
NCGS 20-111(a) – Driving a Vehicle with an Expired Registration
According to NCGS 20-111(a), driving a vehicle without displaying a current registration is considered a Class 3 misdemeanor. Specifically, drivers cannot drive a vehicle on a highway or knowingly permit a vehicle they own to be driven on the highway when it hasn’t been registered with the North Carolina DMV. Drivers must properly display current registration tags on their driver’s license plates.
Additionally, drivers cannot display title or registration number plates they know to be fake or that have been revoked, canceled, suspended, or altered. Drivers cannot display an expired license plate, knowing it to be expired. Using a false name or address in your driver’s license application for registration or knowingly making false or fraudulent statements in an application is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The Penalties for Driving with an Expired Registration in North Carolina
Most of the time, if you’re pulled over for driving with expired tags, you’ll receive a warning from the police officer and a traffic ticket. Police officers frequently see drivers with recently expired tags, and if that’s the case, you may drive away with only a verbal warning and no ticket. However, legally, police officers can issue a traffic ticket if your tags are expired, even if they’ve only been expired for a day.
The ticket will usually be more serious if your tags have been out of date for longer. Police officers have significant discretion and can choose to write a citation and impound a vehicle or have the vehicle towed if the registration has expired for over six months.
As the vehicle’s owner, you won’t be able to regain possession of it until you renew the registration and completely pay off any fines that have been issued. If you’ve been pulled over for expired tags two or more times within six months, you could face even more severe penalties, such as jail time. Receiving jail time for expired tags is unusual, but it can happen.
Paying the Late Fees for Vehicle Registration Renewals
Unfortunately, there isn’t a grace period for renewing expired tags. If your registration sticker says November, your driver’s license will expire on the last day of November. If you’re pulled over on October 1st and charged, you’ll still have to pay a late fee. If the tags have been expired for less than one month, you’ll need to pay a $15 fine. If the tags have been expired for one to two months, you’ll need to pay a $20 fine, and $25 for tags that have been expired for two or more months.
Will I Have to Appear in Court?
Tickets for expired vehicle registrations are considered infractions; however, until recently, drivers have been required to attend court. Currently, North Carolina uses the Electronic Compliance and Dismissal (ECAD) procedure, eliminating the need for those with certain types of traffic tickets to attend court. ECAD allows drivers and their attorneys to request a traffic ticket dismissal.
The most effective way to handle a charge for driving with an expired registration is to promptly renew your registration, settle any associated fines, and then submit a request for the charge to be dismissed through the ECAD procedure. This involves providing proof of your registration renewal. You can pay fines and renew your driver’s license at any North Carolina DMV license plate agency. Remember to provide your vehicle’s license plate number and insurance information.
Defending Against Additional Charges
In many cases, police officers will pull a driver over and cite them with multiple charges, not just driving with an expired registration. A common scenario would be an officer pulling a driver over because of an expired registration, only to make the traffic stop and find other reasons to charge the driver. For example, when talking to the driver about their expired tags, the police officer may detect the smell of marijuana or find an open container of alcohol in the driver’s cup holder.
The police officer may proceed to search the vehicle, find controlled substances or drug paraphernalia, and charge the driver with much more serious charges. Taking care of an expired registration ticket is often easier than dealing with more serious traffic-related charges.
If you’ve been charged with driving while under the influence (DWI), possession or distribution of controlled substances, or having an open container of alcohol in your vehicle, it’s even more important to reach out to a skilled criminal defense attorney. You could be facing significant jail time, a permanent criminal record, fines, and the revocation of your driver’s license.
Contact a Skilled Defense Attorney in North Carolina
If you’ve received a traffic ticket for driving with expired tags in North Carolina, you’ll benefit from speaking to an experienced defense attorney. Attorney Joel Hancock can handle your traffic ticket. He has extensive experience defending clients in a wide range of traffic-related crimes, from traffic tickets to DWIs and drug charges. Don’t hesitate to contact Hancock Law Firm today to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation case evaluation with a skilled attorney.