New Traffic Fines
Amnesty Program
in California
Do you owe an amount you can’t afford or have you
lost your DMV license because you couldn’t pay court fees on traffic or non-traffic infraction fines?
If you haven’t made a payment after September 30, 2015 on an unpaid ticket(s) originally due to
be paid on or before Jan. 1, 2013, you may be eligible for a discount reduction between 50% and 80%.
As an example: fees and fines of $1,500 have been reduced to $300
and that lower amount can be paid off in monthly payments.
This California amnesty program runs through March 31, 2017.
NOTE: Drunk driving, reckless-driving violations, and parking tickets are not eligible for amnesty.
You are not eligible if you owe victim restitution on a case or have certain outstanding misdemeanor
or felony warrants.
Eligible participants will not have to pay civil assessment portions of their bill and may get their suspended driver’s licenses reinstated if they are in good standing on a payment plan. Once the civil assessment amounts are deducted, the remaining balance owed will be reduced by 50 to 80 percent, depending on your income.
The discount is 80% percent if you receive public assistance or your income is 125 percent or less than the federal poverty level — $14,712 for an individual, or $30,312 for a family of four. The discount is 50 percent for all other eligible participants.
People eligible for the amnesty program will have to pay a $50 fee to participate in the program and the DMV will also charge a $55 driver’s license reinstatement fee.
Since 2006, California Courts have suspended 4.8 million driver’s licenses because drivers failed to pay or appear in court. Only 83,000 were able to eventually pay and get their licenses reinstated. Too many people have lost jobs, income and been unable to get jobs as a result.
For more information: (530)229-8161 www.courts.ca.gov/trafficamnesty or www.shasta.courts.ca.gov
Or email or drop by:
Court Collections Office, Room 112 on the first floor of the Shasta County Courthouse,
1500 Court St., from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in Redding
This is a community information service from People of Progress, Redding 530-243-3811 www.peopleofprogress.org