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Expired Plates Ticket

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bryancj

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

I recently received a $50 ticket for having expired plates while parked on a public street outside my apartment in Chicago. That's understandable; it's illegal to be parked like that with expired plates.

The issue is this: my plates are not actually expired; there's been a mix-up at the DMV and my sticker has not been sent to me yet. I just moved to Chicago from Indiana about three weeks ago. I ordered my renewal sticker about a month and a half ago (July 8), while I was still living in Indiana. Needless to say, I used my Indiana address, but two weeks later I filled out a USPS Change of Address form for my new Chicago address.

I still haven't received my renewal sticker, though I've already spent the $70 to get it. I have the receipt in my car in case I got pulled over for having the expired plates; I didn't know they could ticket it while I wasn't even driving.

Is there anything I can do about my ticket, or do I just have to cross my fingers, keep making phone calls, and hope my sticker gets here before I get another $50 ticket?
 


HighwayMan

Super Secret Senior Member
So why would you need your sticker in hand to fight a parking ticket?

You said you have the receipt in case you get pulled over. Use the receipt to indicate that your plates were, in fact, valid. What your receipt shows, I do not know though.

Even if you get your new sticker, how does that prove to a judge that your plates were not expired when you got the ticket? Your receipt, depending on what it actually shows, might leave you in the same position.

You may need to end up getting some type of letter from the DMV (whichever one) stating that your registration was not expired on the date in question.
 

bryancj

Junior Member
It's an Indiana plate. The receipt shows the date I ordered the renewal, my VIN, and the order number.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
then you don't have legal plates on your car:


How to Apply
New residents have 30 days to apply for an Illinois
title and registration after establishing residence,
provided the vehicle is properly registered in another
jurisdiction. Complete an Application for Vehicle
Title and Registration (VSD-190) and provide supporting
documents verifying the following information
so, you do not have expired registration problems. You have a no registration problem.

whoops, my bad.

take this as notice, you have 1 week to transfer your registration and title to Illinois
 

justalayman

Senior Member
I still haven't received my renewal sticker, though I've already spent the $70 to get it. I have the receipt in my car in case I got pulled over for having the expired plates;
then present the receipt and the ticket in court and , hopefully, with an explanation, all will be well, for one more week.


I didn't know they could ticket it while I wasn't even driving.
In some states, unless the vehicle is actually stored inside, they can ticket a car.

I don't know any state that allows you to park a car on public property with expired registration.

Is there anything I can do about my ticket, or do I just have to cross my fingers, keep making phone calls, and hope my sticker gets here before I get another $50 ticket?
first, just go and transfer everything to Illinois like you are legally required to do.

then, I would argue the ticket as long as the receipt is dated prior to the ticket.
 

Indiana Filer

Senior Member
I ordered my renewal of registration over the internet in Indiana a couple years ago, and did not receive the sticker before the prior year's expiration. I contacted the BMV, and they said the only way I could make sure I didn't get ticketed for no registration was to go to the local license branch to pick up a temporary plate to use until I got the new sticker in the mail.

You failed to do so before your plates expired. Now that you've moved to a different state, you should have transferred your registration to that state.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
You failed to do so before your plates expired. Now that you've moved to a different state, you should have transferred your registration to that state.
he has 30 days to transfer. That is why my two posts are so screwed up. I did not realize he had only been in Illinois for 3 weeks when this happened.
 

I_Got_Banned

Senior Member
he has 30 days to transfer. That is why my two posts are so screwed up. I did not realize he had only been in Illinois for 3 weeks when this happened.
Just a thought... The fact that the OP paid for his IN registration 3 weeks prior to his move and unless his move was a spur of the moment deal, might suggest that he planned on residing and driving in IL with his IN registration.
 

HighwayMan

Super Secret Senior Member
Well, if it was me I probably would have done the same thing - just one less thing to worry about with the move - renew it now so it doesn't expire than I have another month to get the registration transferred.

Although my experience has been that alot of people in that position would not switch their registration over until it's next expiration date.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Just a thought... The fact that the OP paid for his IN registration 3 weeks prior to his move and unless his move was a spur of the moment deal, might suggest that he planned on residing and driving in IL with his IN registration.
It's possible. OP may have believed it to be legal even. I have no way to make that determination. That is one reason I posted what I did, so he did know he had to change his title and registration.

If he wants to break the law, that is his choice but at least now, it would be obvious it was intentional and not simply an ignorant error.


.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
=HighwayMan;2339635]Well, if it was me I probably would have done the same thing - just one less thing to worry about with the move - renew it now so it doesn't expire than I have another month to get the registration transferred.
He actually had no choice. You cannot change your registration in anticipation of moving. You have to be able to prove residency.

So, since his Indiana reg expired, if he wanted to drive, he had to get an Indiana reg.
 

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