Let’s Keep Taxes and Fees On Motorists Fair and Reasonable

I Owe How Much?  [Article from October 2011 Westways magazine]

As anyone who has received a traffic ticket knows, there’s no such thing as a “simple” traffic fine in California. For years, the state has been piling fees on to base fines, resulting in a total cost that’s many times the base amount. As shown in the example below, the approximate fine for a seatbelt violation grows from a base fine of $20 to a total fine of $141 once all the associated fees are loaded in.

Traffic laws exist to protect motorists, and the Auto Club supports measures that reinforce safe driving. But singling out motorists as an easy source of revenue is unjust. If you agree, make your voice heard by contacting your state representative or senator - just use the buttons at the top right hand side of the page to locate and email your legislators. 

Example fines, fees and asssessments for a seatbelt violation:

Base fine: $20

State penalty assessment: $20

County penalty assessment: $14

Court security fee: $30

Conviction assessment: $35

DNA penalty assessment: $4

Court penalty assessment: $10

Surcharge: $4

EMS penalty assessment: $4

Total fine (including all the add-on fees and assessments: $141

Related to the points raised in the Westways article above, the Auto Club has consistently spoken out against efforts to “nickel and dime” motorists to help balance the state budget. As our elected representatives in Sacramento have struggled to deal with the state’s intractable budget deficit in recent years, motorists’ taxes and fees have been targeted over and over again to help balance the budget. The Auto Club has had to repeatedly remind the legislature that the so-called car tax is already too high and that gas taxes and other motorist taxes should be used only to fund transportation and motorist-related services.

In the November 2010 elections, voters hammered these points home by rejecting Proposition 21, which would have imposed an $18 vehicle registration surcharge to pay for state parks. Voters also passed Proposition 22, the third time in the past eight years they’ve attempted to lock down gas taxes to be used exclusively for funding better roads and public transit.

The car tax is actually a combination of the vehicle license fee (VLF) and numerous registration fees that go to cities and counties to pay for a variety of community services, including police and fire departments. From 2001 through 2009, the VLF was set at 0.65 percent of a vehicle’s assessed value. To address the budget deficit in 2009, the VLF was increased to 1.15 percent, meaning that even motorists with modestly priced vehicles now pay $100-$200 for the VLF alone-many pay much more.

On top of the VLF, California motorists typically pay 12 separate vehicle registration fees, which now exceed $80 in some counties. California has been increasing both the number and cost of these fees during the past few years because it’s become too easy-and too tempting-to do so. A $5 registration fee increase, for example, can generate a whopping $150 million a year from the 30 million vehicles registered in California.

This combination of a high VLF and numerous registration fees means that Californians now pay among the highest costs in the country to keep their cars registered. As a result, many unemployed and underemployed people who need their cars to seek employment have a difficult time keeping their vehicles legally registered.

The legislature and the governor must once and for all stop the shell games and heed the will of voters. Car taxes should not be increased. And motorist taxes should fund only services related to driving and transportation. Your voice can help to make sure that motorists are not targeted with unfair taxes and fees as they struggle to get back to work.