Can I Renew My Registration If I Have Unpaid Tickets?

Unfortunately, once a parking ticket is unpaid over 90 days (less in some California jurisdictions), the issuing agency may not only report the outstanding parking fine(s) to a collection agency (whether it be in-house or third-party), but they may also report the unpaid parking tickets to the DMV. Once this happens, the DMV puts a "hold" on your registration renewal; in that, they will not let you renew your vehicle's registration until you pay the parking tickets that have been reported. They do make it a bit simple though by letting you pay them (the DMV) rather than paying the city or municipality which issued the ticket, which may take up your time especially if the ticket is old and you don't know where you got it or you happen to not even be aware of getting a parking ticket in the first place.

If you're using NeedTags to renew your registration, our system will first indicate your registration renewal fees only. During the processing of your order and if the DMV has recorded any unpaid parking tickets, we will notify you so that you may choose to pay for the parking ticket(s) through us and complete your renewal order, or cancel your renewal request and dispute the parking violation with the proper agency. Payment for both your DMV renewal fees and outstanding parking tickets must be made at the same time if you intend on renewing your vehicle's California DMV sticker. If you wish to contest a parking ticket, you will need to contact the municipality which issued the citation prior to being able to complete your registration renewal.