no-parking-1436716-mParking can be incredibly frustrating, especially within the city. Oftentimes, it can seem worth the chance to get a parking ticket, largely because many people believe that getting such a ticket is not a big deal. It is a common belief that it is easy to avoid paying tickets. Unfortunately, this is not the case. This post discusses some of the ways in which not paying a parking ticket can affect your driving license.

Consequences of Not Paying a Parking Ticket

Late Fees – Usually, a parking ticket in California needs to be paid within 21 days of it first being put into the system in order to avoid any late fees from being added on, or 14 days from the first overdue notice, depending on where the ticket was issued. This late fees can double the cost of the ticket, which will often make a person less inclined to pay it.

Collections Fee – Once a ticket has been issued for 82 days, if the ticket amount or any associated fees has still not yet been paid, then an additional fee of $21 will be added on. This fee will cover the costs that the government in the area has taken as of yet to resolve the parking ticket and serves as an additional disincentive.

DMV Hold Fee – If you have crossed the 82 day limit, then you will not be able to do anything at the DMV, including registering a new vehicle or re-registering an old vehicle.

  • An additional hold fee might also be added to the hold itself.
  • Until all citations and other fees are paid, you will not be able to renew your driver’s license or perform any other necessary actions.

Boot and Tow – When a person has five or more parking tickets that are well past due, then the government will proceed to send out one or two people to find the vehicle that was used for the parking violations.

  • When the vehicle has been found, a boot will be applied to it so that it cannot be driven.
  • There is also a chance that the vehicle might also be towed and then impounded. When this happens, you will not have access to the car until the parking tickets have been paid.
  • While the car is impounded, a storage fee will be applied per day. This fee is usually very high.

Credit Bureau Reporting – After a certain amount of time has passed, the city might report the unpaid parking tickets to a credit bureau.

  • This will negatively impact your credit score and result in you not being able to get loans or credit cards.
  • It also has the chance of increasing a person’s interest rates.

Collections Agency – Finally, if the parking tickets have not been paid for a very long time, then the tickets will be given over to a collections agency, who tend to be much more efficient at extracting the funds that are due. The collections agency will not stop until all of the tickets have been paid.

Driving Record – All parking tickets must be reported to the employer if your main profession is driving. They may also affect your license, which would make it more difficult for you to find a job as a professional driver.

Not paying the parking tickets can have serious consequences in the long run. It can result in a person’s credit scores being seriously damaged, harassment from collections agencies, and the possibility of having the offending vehicle taken away. To avoid these consequences and keep the amount of money that needs to be paid manageable, its best to stay on top of any outstanding parking tickets by having them in before the deadline.

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Scott Desind

Scott Desind | Traffic Ticket Attorneys The Traffic Ticket Attorneys, Desind and Klijian, have over 25 years of experience fighting traffic tickets. Our attorneys are well respected and known for their experience in fighting traffic tickets, specialized knowledge of the law and procedures and results by the court personnel, officers, deputies, competitors and clients.