14 October 2011

Traffic Tickets Overdue 3 Years or More to Get Discount

Traffic Tickets Overdue 3 Years or More to Get Discount

It may be time to pay that old traffic ticket.

In an effort to help drivers with overdue tickets and, at the same time, put money into the depleted coffers of local and state governments, California will be offering a 50 percent discount on traffic tickets of three years or more.

The program starts Jan. 1, 2012, and will last six months.

The tickets eligible for the discount must have been due no later than Jan. 1, 2009. Driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving and parking tickets are not eligible for the discount.

If only 2 percent of the overdue fines are collected, officials expect to generate $46 million, said Jessica Sanora from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Sanora partially credits the state's more than $900 million in unpaid tickets to hard financial times.

"We believe it's due a lot to the economy. Because of the high fines, people are just unable to pay," Sanora told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The revenue collected will be split among state, cities, counties and courts.

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