Illinois Made $9M In License Plate Late Fees After Ending Renewal Reminders
By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 24, 2016 3:43PM
We all need a little reminder sometimes—and Illinois residents are proving that by paying millions of dollars in late fees.
After the financially strapped state decided to stop mailing license-plate renewal reminders, the Illinois Secretary of State through Tuesday has netted $9.5 million dollars in late fees, according to the Belleville News-Democrat. That's more than double the figure collected this time last year, when $4.29 million had been gathered.
The Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White suspended renewal reminders last October, claiming the office could not afford the postage costs—$450,000 a month—without a 2016 budget in place. And we all know how well that's gone.
Drivers who fail to renew their license-plate stickers within 30 days are subject to a $20 late penalty, and must still pay the original $101 cost of renewal.
The Illinois House passed a bill that would grant drivers a 30-day grace period after their stickers expired, but that measure has so far failed to clear the full General Assembly.
Motorists do have the option of e-mail reminders, which they can sign up for at cyberdriveillinois.com. Make sure it doesn't go to Spam.