Unfortunately for Americans, most parts of the country don’t have access to sufficient public transit. As a result, having a valid driver’s license is vital to everyday life for a large portion of adults. However, that license is only part of the equation when it comes to hitting the road. Incidentally, if you own a vehicle, you’re required to keep a valid vehicle registration. As you might imagine, you could be looking at penalties for driving with expired registration.

The penalties for driving on expired registration may not be grave, but it’s worth keeping your vehicle documentation updated

It happens. Drivers sometimes neglect to update their vehicle registration. Should that happen, a driver may go about their typical errands, commutes, and cruises with expired registration. Understandably, police in most states can be pretty lenient regarding lapsed registration compared to no insurance. 

Depending on the state, a driver may need to pay a fine for their lapsed registration. For instance, in the Golden State, drivers may have to pay a $32 fee for expired documentation, per the California DMV. However, if a Californian is over two years behind on their vehicle registration, they may have to pay around $100.

However, Texas takes expired tags a bit more seriously. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, you may receive a suspension and points on your license for out-of-date tags. In short, the penalty for your expired tags will depend on your state and how long you’ve been driving after the date of expiration.

Furthermore, if a police officer pulls you over with expired tags, they may impound your vehicle. Should that happen, you may have to pay impound fees in addition to fees for your expired tags. Fortunately, your state’s DMV will likely send you a notification indicating that your tags are about to expire. Better yet, you may be able to renew your vehicle’s documentation online rather than making an appointment or an impromptu trip to the DMV.