Not being able to own a car and legally drive that car puts an undue burden for those that make very little but have no license due to either failing to appear in court or more commonly for not paying your tickets on time. Earlier yesterday (Sept. 30, 2015) the California Legislature enacted Senate Bill 85 which allows anyone who had an infraction ticket that was due for payment on or before Jan. 1, 2013 the ability to receive as much as 80 percent off of that fine as well the option to pay for it in full or enroll in a payment plan. For all the details on what this entails head over to California Courts and their official website which we’ve linked below. In addition, we’ve provided three simple steps for you to follow to get you on track to getting your license back (if you’re eligible.)
1. Find out if you’re eligible– You have outstanding whose fines were due on or before January 1, 2013 AND you haven’t made payments before June. 24,2015 then you’re eligible. If you DID make payments after June. 24, 2015, you’re not eligible for that specific ticket.
2. Call your court to enroll. Find your court you got your ticket by searching here and call them up saying you’d like to enroll in the “California Ticket Amnesty Program.” Depending on how much you make, you’ll be eligible for either a 50 percent reduction or 80 percent reduction in fines.
3. Commit to a payment plan or pay your fines all at once. After you pay a $55 fee to enroll in the program, you can pay your fines all at once or enroll in a payment plan. To get your license reinstated, you’ll need to pay another $55 fee.
That’s it in a nutshell. The program begins today and runs through till March 31, 2017.
