Expired plates! I hate the BMV!

Twerp128

Twerp128

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
3,662
Location
Indiana
Car(s)
'91 Miata, '09 Street Triple
So I was driving home from work the other night, and I got pulled over. I was doing 15 over the speed limit, and I unknowingly had expired plates. Luckily the popo didn't write me a ticket for the speeding, which is good because everyone does at least ten over on what is basically a four lane freeway, and because he was doing at least 70 in a 45. I did get cited for the plates, can't talk your way outta that.

Now when I bought my plates, it was in December of '06. I purchased a full year, but apparently in Indiana even though I paid for a full years service I only get ten months because all the plates in the state expire in October no matter what you paid and how long ago you purchased them. If I cash in my insurance two months early I get reimbursed for what I didn't use. On top of that I have always gotten a notice and registration via mail packet when the time rolled around to renew. Apparently this year they've decided to only send out notices to certain people!?

I've already paid a $30.00 fine to the BMV for renewing my plates late, I'm looking at another $130.00 fine for the ticket. Should I fight it and do I have a hope in hell of winning. I know it's my responsibility to know when my plates expire, but anyone who lives in Indiana knows our BMV is worthless, these are the same people that told me to drive illegally to get my car registered and gave me the wrong amount of time I have to register a car for a new resident.

Don't Fuck the Police, Fuck the BMV!

I feel a bit better now.
 
Isn't it the DMV? (Department of Motor Vehicles)
 
I think in some states its BMV.
Umm as for the plates, I guess if you go to court and maybe explain to the judge your situation he might lower the fine or let you off all together. I am assuming you had insurance so that might be another plus.
Yeah I almost got got taged for not have vaild reg on my bike, thank god my friend noticed and I went to the DMV and got things straighten out.
 
Twerp128 said:
I did get cited for the plates, can't talk your way outta that.
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I've had a friend do it 3 times. He basically convinced the cop that he never received his tags and that he's been hassling with the DMV for a while about it. That plus he's proof of insurance is a 5 page document that actually said it expired 2 years prior and was for him mom only. Hide that under the seat and conveniently misplace it, and the cop just says fuck it (why risk a seemingly nice guy pulling a gun over a $30 ticket).

It sounds like your screwed unless you get a sympathetic judge. Is it really worth it to take time off work to goto court over $130? I know your pain on wrong information, the state of Missouri seems to think that when you ask "what all do I need to do to get my car registered in this state" doesn't involve 2 of the 4 steps.
 
I am sympathetic to your plight, having made mistakes with insurance renewal dates before.

However, I reckon this is one of those times where you are better off just biting the bullet, accepting you were (unknowingly) in the wrong, and paying up. If nothing else I bet you won't make the same mistake again any time soon.

If a google doesn't bring anything up to support the "I blame the DMV" view of things, I'd just pay up reluctantly, to be honest.
 
I think that just about any judge will tell you that, "it's your responsibility to know, blah blah blah", but it could be worth a shot. Especially if the sticker on your plates says you've got 2 more months (do you guys have stickers?). Speaking of fighting the man, I just got a $120 speeding ticket the other day, and I'm thinking about arguing it in court, saying that it took the officer 6 miles to catch up to me, so it could've been another car :p.

thedguy said:
I know your pain on wrong information, the state of Missouri seems to think that when you ask "what all do I need to do to get my car registered in this state" doesn't involve 2 of the 4 steps.
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I loathe registering cars in Missouri. You need proof of insurance, an inspection sticker, a clear title (good luck with a bill of sale and salvage paperwork), property taxes straightened out, your first born son ... :?. Kansas was so much easier, I went to the courthouse with a title and proof of insurance, they didn't even look at the insurance, I gave them $47 and I got plates. Amazing :D.
 
thedguy said:
I know your pain on wrong information, the state of Missouri seems to think that when you ask "what all do I need to do to get my car registered in this state" doesn't involve 2 of the 4 steps.
Click to expand...
tigger said:
I loathe registering cars in Missouri. You need proof of insurance, an inspection sticker, a clear title (good luck with a bill of sale and salvage paperwork), property taxes straightened out, your first born son ... . Kansas was so much easier, I went to the courthouse with a title and proof of insurance, they didn't even look at the insurance, I gave them $47 and I got plates. Amazing .
Click to expand...

I agree both both of you, I moved to Missouri from Oklahoma. The first time I went to get plates it took me three days of gathering pieces of paper and standing in line. I do have it figured out now and can usually get it done in an hour...
 
Wow I never realized just how easy we have it in Ohio. All I have to do is drive to the BMV, show my registration, pay about 20 bucks, and pick up a sticker. They don't ask to see proof of insurance or even take a glance at my car. If I go in the middle of a weekday I can get in and out in under 10 minutes.

I really don't see why they make such a big fuss over expired tags. They're pulling people over to get a little money where there are tons of drivers doing stupid things and being dangerous to others.
 
well uninspected car is quite a risk also.
 
Around here you need proof of insurance, road legality report, registration and about 120 euro (180 bucks). But it does last a whole year, to the day, no matter when you do it.
 
Well... you didn't pay your registration so I guess its kinda your fault... but its weird why you only get 10 months when you pay a full year. Correct me if I'm wrong but I know its very easy to tell a car has an expired registration in America because I know (At least in California), you stick the new label on the rear license plate and your month of expiry is on the other side).

I got caught the other day by a cop while changing my license plate from a custom one to a normal one before I sold my car, I was changing one... got a call from a mate who's car died, so I went to see how I can help... halfway there, a cop stops me and asks why I have 2 different regos on the front and back, I tell him the whole story and he lets me off... phew :lol:
 
Sorry...the "BMV" name seems weird.

In New Mexico, it's called the Motor Vehicle Department or "MVD" which sounds like an STD.

DMV just sounds right...although that's what it's been called in every state I've lived in...

In any event, in California, the first time the car is registered, that becomes the car's "birthday." Which means, it needs to be renewed according to THAT date, no matter who else ever owns the car.

I leased a car in February, but it was registered in January by the dealer once they took delivery of the vehicle. But, since the registration expired in January, I had to pay the full-year's registration of the vehicle, even though I only has 4 weeks left on my lease (ended up having 7 weeks, but that's a long story). D'oh!
 
Well, I'm gonna fight it in court, if I get a good judge or the cop doesn't show I can win. Might as well seeing as I have to drive to the courthouse to pay the ticket anyway. I'll bring my sad face, maybe I'll wear my Eagle scout pin? Plus the cop that gave me the ticket was from South Bend and I live about 15 miles east of there which struck me as kinda funny?

Oh, and at the BMV/DMV/Secretary of State it took my four hours and $95.00 to renew my plates. I hope we have a more efficient court system.
 
I can think of several thousand other things I'd rather do than go to the DMV. Everytime I'm in there it's a fucking nightmare on wheels. Luckily when it's time for me to get a new sticker, I just take this sheet of paper to my bank and pay them $80 (I think) and that's it.
 
PLEAD STUPIDITY WITH THE JUDGE!

I guess you can get a driver's license in Indiana without being able to read. The following is from Indiana's BMV website.

When Do I Renew My Registration?

Indiana motorists' registrations expire on the fifteenth day of their renewal month, while others expire at the month's end. By staggering the renewal dates, the BMV aims to reduce long lines and wait times caused by end-of-month rushes. Under this system, license branch traffic should be more evenly spread throughout the month.

Please refer to the staggered registration schedule below to determine your registration renewal date. Registration renewal dates are based on the first two letters of the vehicle owner's last name.

Renewal Group Date Due
Corporate and Fleet Vehicles January 31

A-BE February 15
BF-BZ February 28
C March 15
D March 31
E-F April 15
G April 30
HA-HN May 15
HO-I May 31
J-KM June 15
KN-L June 30
MA-ME July 15
MF-O July 31
P-Q August 15
R August 31
SA-SN September 15
SO-T September 30
U-WK October 15
WL-Z October 31
 
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I just remembered another reason why we have it easier here: the registration expires on the owner's birthday so there's no confusion about when it expires or how many months it's been or what time of the month I have to go get a new sticker. Easy. And that seems to help keep lines short. :)
 
Mach1 said:
PLEAD STUPIDITY WITH THE JUDGE!

I guess you can get a driver's license in Indiana without being able to read. The following is from Indiana's BMV website.

When Do I Renew My Registration?

Indiana motorists' registrations expire on the fifteenth day of their renewal month, while others expire at the month's end. By staggering the renewal dates, the BMV aims to reduce long lines and wait times caused by end-of-month rushes. Under this system, license branch traffic should be more evenly spread throughout the month.

Please refer to the staggered registration schedule below to determine your registration renewal date. Registration renewal dates are based on the first two letters of the vehicle owner's last name.

Renewal Group Date Due
Corporate and Fleet Vehicles January 31

A-BE February 15
BF-BZ February 28
C March 15
D March 31
E-F April 15
G April 30
HA-HN May 15
HO-I May 31
J-KM June 15
KN-L June 30
MA-ME July 15
MF-O July 31
P-Q August 15
R August 31
SA-SN September 15
SO-T September 30
U-WK October 15
WL-Z October 31
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That would be for the registration not the license plate renewal. They actually send all people info on that not just a selected few. And there are still crazy long lines at the BMV.
 
So I won in court today. The cop showed up, but when I told my story to the judge, he said he could completely believe that the BMV told me the wrong info from the start, and that the BMV also failed to send me a renewal in the mail. So since it was my first, "offense," he let me off.

I really didn't think he would after the cop mentioned I was doing 15 over the speed limit. But when I told him everyone does at least ten over through there I would just be a hazard in traffic, not to mention there was no one on the road to begin with. Then I ended it with a, "But it is ultimately my fault for speeding, and this traffic stop has been eye opener for me." Yeah right.
 
:thumbup: Congrats!
 
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