California Highway Patrol Encourages Residents to Rat On Out of State Plates

The California Highway Patrol is out to catch cheaters.

[efoods]The CHP is asking people to report those who drive around with out-of-state license plates. The Program is called Californians Help Eliminate All The Evasive Registration Scofflaws — or CHEATERS.

The state is losing money because of drivers who keep their cars registered in other states, typically states with lower registration fees, said CHP Commander Fran Clader.

Here’s the law: a vehicle owner has 20 days to register their vehicle in California after accepting employment in the state or establishing residency.

Last year there were fees collected on 3,383 out-of-state license plate violations, which resulted in the collection of more than $1 million in fees, or an average of $297.58 per case, according to the CHP. Since the start of the program in 2004, $4 million has been collected in fees.

The California vehicle licensing fee ranges high or low depending on the make and age of the vehicle. The fee has increased from 0.65 percent of a vehicle’s value to 1.15 percent as of this May, said California DMV Information Officer Jan Mendoza. For a vehicle worth $25,000 that is four or five years old, a California resident may pay up to $280 for licensing registration, she said.

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This article was posted: Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 12:01 pm

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