Traffic Violations for Expired Car Registration

Can You Get a Ticket for an Expired Registration?

Having an expired registration can be easy to forget, but it’s important to not let too much time go by before renewing your California auto registration.  Usually, getting your car registration renewal notice serves as a reminder of the expiration date to avoid late fees and you are allowed to renew your car registration in California 60 days prior to the expiration date. 

Life happens and sometimes there are valid reasons for not making the registration on time, but if your tags are more than six months past the renewal date, your vehicle can be towed away and impounded. If you park on a public street, you could possibly find your car or truck gone when you return to it.

So, how long can you drive with expired tags in California?  Well, the most important thing to know is that there is really no “GRACE” period with the California DMV for your registration.  

Your car registration expires every year on the date indicated on your vehicle registration card. 

So again, if your car registration expired OVER six months ago, your vehicle can be towed and impounded.  However, if you are less than six months behind, the police can pull you over and give you a traffic violation ticket, which means you will be required to pay the ticket’s fine in addition to registering the car’s tags and paying any late fees. 

This will usually add more fees due to penalties that could cost you upwards of $200. Once you receive a ticket for expired tags, you will generally have 30 days to register for new tags with the DMV. 

If you are on your own private property, you can drive and park all you want without registering your tags. But when you need to park your car or drive it on California’s public streets and freeways, that’s when your expired tags will be an issue!

It’s so important to take care of your expired registration on your first warning or citation!  

If you fail to register your tags after receiving an expired registration ticket and then get pulled over for a SECOND time, you could face more serious consequences. The officer may impound your car and issue a criminal traffic violation. If you receive repeated expired registration citations over a period of time, you could possibly be facing incarceration or license suspension.

How much are late fees for vehicle registration in California?

Since the CA DMV does not offer any grace period, here is an estimate of the fees you’ll pay for not renewing your vehicle registration on time.

• Less than 1 year: $30
• 1 to 2 years: $50
• Over 2 years: $100

To avoid paying late fees on your next car registration renewal, complete your registration renewal before the expiration date.