Being a driver means much more than simply owning a personal vehicle. It also means more than just taking the tests and passing them, earning your driver’s license in the process. While these are technicalities that make you ad river, there is so much more that a person needs to be, know, and think about that truly make them a driver.
Knowing stuff about your car and how to take care of yourself on the road is one such thing. Helping others and respecting the rules of traffic is another. All of these things, both highly situational and general, matter for the safety of you and others, as well as the security and maintenance of your vehicle.
And then there is also the matter of complying to the rules, the paperwork, and the legality of it all in terms of having all of the affairs in order. Having your license renewed when it needs to be is one example of this, but a more pressing matter that the authorities care about deals with your car’s registration. Having your registration plates, also known as tags, renewed is a very important aspect of driving and being a driver.
They will eventually expire and you will need to change them, there is no escaping it. This is what being a driver and owning a personal vehicle means. You can be maintaining it all you want, you can know the inside workings of every single mechanical thing about it, but being diligent and caring for something seemingly trivial also has its purposes.
In this article we talk about expired registration tags, more precisely about driving around with an expired set. Can it be done, should it be done, and what happens if you do it? More importantly, what happens to drivers who keep driving on expired tags and get caught doing it by the authorities? Are there penalties and if so, what are they? Read on to learn more about what happens if you drive a car with expired tags and why you probably want to avoid it. For additional information on car registration renewal, particularly in the state of Florida, make sure to check out https://www.swift-tags.com/.
You Shouldn’t
It is ultimately the question of morality and being a law abiding citizen who cares for the community and for their own well-being. Driving with expired tags is bad for many reasons, but perhaps the worst of it is the fact that the one doing is being blatantly and willingly irresponsible. Driving with expired registration plates is first and foremost illegal, but many illegal activities are still being done by people. However, those are activities that the perpetrators can get something out of.
There is no benefit in driving with expired tags and basically everyone can be doing it. The key thing to do is to avoid it because it is detrimental to the whole system. It is not the way things are supposed to be. Registration exists for a reason, for a number of reasons, so why should anyone drive when their car’s paperwork and license to so are no longer there? Conscious drivers and those who do not want any trouble simply renew the tags when the time for it comes. It is no trouble, it is not expensive, it is normal and common. Why avoid it?
How Long Can One Do It?
It is a possibility after or so naturally there is the answer to the question of how long one can ride around with expired tags. Since there is not really a way to tell if the tags are expired or not just by looking at the car, theoretically, you could be driving around on expired registration plates until you get pulled over and checked. The authorities always ask for your license and registration as it is standard procedure to do so. Both of these documents need to be up to date and valid for a driver and a vehicle to legally be on the road.
If the registration is out of date and still not renewed, you will surely get a ticket, probably a fine, and your vehicle could even be towed. You may end up needing a ride home in the worst case scenario. Police officers are not really light on this and for good reason. There is plenty of time to have the plates renewed. Depending on the country and the state, you have a month or so to do it before it becomes a matter of showing disregard for the rules and the laws.
Can VS Should (MAY)
This is the classic example or CAN versus SHOULD (MAY). Just because you can do something does not mean you SHOULD, or are allowed to. As stated, you physically can do it as nobody is stopping you. With luck, you may even get to drive a car with expired tags for months, provided nobody checks you or stops you.
But being able to do something and being allowed to are two different things. The distinction is between these two things is simple really. You may not drive a car with expired tags at all, but you can. How long depends on the luck you are served and how skilled you are at hiding it.
What Happens When You Are Caught?
When you are stopped and checked, the police officer can issue a warning and they typically do so, but only if it is during the month-long period when you have to renew the plates. If they stop you and realize that they should have been replaced months ago, you will be in big trouble and have to pay fines, tickets, and you may even lose your license for a time.
Different states have different fees to pay as well as tax multipliers so the total amount you will have to pay varies. Court appearances may even be necessary so it is highly advised not to play around and drive with expired tags. Do it on time each year and you will never have to worry about it in your life.
