Barb Stanton Says....

Traffic Tickets - Fees or Taxes?!

California has adjusted the cost of traffic tickets upwards and calls it fees! I believe this is taxation without representation, or maybe representation with taxation! If you call it 'fees' the legislature can simply vote them into existence. Hummmmmm - what would be easier - asking citizens to raise taxes or just implement the new 'fees'.

If it's been awhile since your last ticket, prepare for sticker shock: The cost of all California tickets went up in 2009, with the fines for some violations increasing as much as 65 percent.

The state, which sets and raises fees, took the action in an effort to standardize amounts statewide and make sure court costs were covered, according to officials.

The higher fees are expected to raise $300 million a year to pay for renovations at 41 courthouses statewide. Some of the hikes include a $15 rise in the cost of a "fix-it" ticket (for driving with broken car parts) and a $25 rise in the cost of traffic school.

While base fines have increased over the years, it's the add-ons that really soared. A number of extras are tacked on to traffic tickets in California.

Most mandatory add-ons are set by the state, but some are determined by counties and county courts. Base fines for traffic infractions vary from $25 or $35, a common base fine, to $5,000 for transporting radioactive materials without a license. The standard base fee for a moving violation is $35.
The add-ons apply to every traffic ticket, but vary according to the base fine.

If the ticket is issued by a city police officer, most of the money goes to the city; if it's issued by a county agency, such as the sheriff's office, the entire amount goes to the county. If it's issued by a redlite camera a substantial part goes to the camera company - such as RedFlex in Phoenix which administers the cameras in Victorville.

Now, the add-ons begin.
The initial fine is to set a penalty, all the other fees are associated with the judicial system. Basically, the person who committed the infraction is paying for the system that's dealing with their violation."

The state gets a $100 "penalty assessment," $70 of which is used for programs including restitution for crime victims and witness protection. The rest is allotted to the county's general fund.

The distribution varies depending on the violation. The amount will be the same, but a number of factors, including whether the citation stemmed from a red-light camera, determine how it's distributed.

Not to be outdone, the county where the ticket was issued gets another $70 for automated fingerprint identification and other programs. Another $20 penalty goes to the state to help fund DNA testing for the collection of evidence.

A $50 assessment goes toward state court construction, a $20 surcharge goes to the state's general fund and $20 goes to the county's emergency medical system.

Then there's a $20 court security fee and a $35 fee to build new courthouses, and a $1 fee for night court.
It all adds up to $436.

Should you decide to go to traffic school,in order to avoid increased auto-insurance rates, that surcharge is $49.

You have the option of requesting a payment plan, should the cost of a ticket threaten to cripple your budget. But plan for an additional charge: Up to $35 to a state court for paying in installments.