Amnesty Traffic Debt For Poor: California Implements New Program To Help Low

California drivers with outstanding traffic tickets may benefit from a limited amnesty program that begins Thursday. 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.” . The discounts are either 50 percent or 80 percent, depending on the driver’s income, according to a statement from the California Superior Courts.

ABC 10 News reports that the amnesty traffic program is for residents who can’t afford traffic fines and court fees that have resulted in millions of driver’s licenses being revoked.

Not being able to own a auto and legally drive that vehicle 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. Of those, only about 83,000 licenses were reinstated.

The program will not cover every infraction. Drunken-driving & reckless-riving violations aren’t eligible. Brown’s program will go into effect October 1 and run through March 31, 2017.

California has come under criticism in recent years for its stiff traffic fines, which include add-on fees and assessments that triple and quadruple the base fines for infractions. “They can get out from under this cloud, get their driver’s license back immediately”. And, of course, the DMV will charge $55 to reinstate a driver’s license.

The Times has stated that a moving violation with a fine of $100 can be raised to $500 by court fees, and then $815 if the payment deadline is missed.

A previous state amnesty program in 2012 netted $12.3 million over its six months.