PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has directed the R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles to stop implementation of a $250 registration reinstatement fee for those who fail to get their cars inspected after receiving notice of their expiration. The governor wants the General Assembly to revisit the law that was passed in two parts in 2008 and 2009 but never enforced.
The pause will give the legislator time to consider the fee in its next session.
Thanks to the new DMV computer system, the notices began being sent out over the summer 45 days after inspection stickers expired. The DMV had planned to give residents 20 days to come to compliance after receiving that notice. The $250 fee would only be required to lift the suspension if the car owner had not responded within the 65 days after the previous inspection lapsed.
House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello called for Gov. Gina M. Raimondo to halt the automatic registration suspension earlier on Tuesday.
The fee had been passed in 2009 by General Assembly, but had not been enforced. The DMV had planned to begin enforcing the law with automatic suspensions and reinstatement fees starting Jan. 1.
The R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles is currently sending nearly 7,000 notices a month to residents with expired inspection stickers, according to R.I. Department of Revenue Public Information Officer Paul Grimaldi.
“An additional $250 fee for an expired sticker is excessive. I support compliance with our laws but also recognize we must not establish roadblocks that keep Rhode Islanders from being able to get back into compliance. I’ve heard from a number of my colleagues about their concerns about how this will adversely affect their constituents,” said Mattiello.
Currently, drivers are subject to an $85 fine and potential suspension of their registration for continued noncompliance.
The new R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles computer system has made it possible to identify those without a current inspection sticker. Currently, those with expired inspection stickers were identified through traffic stops and law enforcement.
The DMV has already begun sending letters to owners of vehicles whose inspections have expired notifying them that they need to have them inspected.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
