Late Tag Fees Being Increased

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- You may be paying a lot more to renew your car tags if they're late.  The state is increasing the late fee for tags by 300%.  That means you could pay $100 rather than $25.  The new fees go into effect next Wednesday, July 1st, so if your tag is overdue, you definitely want to go renew it before then.

Business always picks up at tag agencies toward the end of the month.  People already grumble about having to pay for tags, titles and taxes, but a new law passed by the state legislature may turn that grumble into outrage.

The old 25 cent a day fee for late tags will soon be $1 a day.  The old maximum fine was $25, now it's going to $100.

Kelly Killion's tag expired in January.  She didn't know about penalty increase, but is glad she only had to fork out $25 instead of $100, but she also understands the state is trying to get people to renew on time.

"It's a lot of, but, if it's late, I need to pay it. I feel bad about being late anyway," said Kelly Killion.

Doug Fischer let one of his tags expire and also had to pay the $25 penalty.  He's very glad he came in before he had to pay three times that amount.

"Well, I'm relieved I listened to my wife, who is usually right. She's been bugging me to get the tags done and I'm happy I'm not paying the additional fee," said Doug Fischer.

It just makes sense, with budgets so tight, to pay the lower penalty and that's why the owner of the Central Tag Agency wants people to know about the law change, so they have a fair chance to take care of it before July 1^st.

"It's usually people with less money who can't pay their bills that end up being penalized the most," said Ann Jones with Central Tag Agency.

You still have a little leeway before you'll be charged the full $100.  If your car tag is due in June, you get a 30 day grace period, and then the late fee of $1 a day starts racking up.  So, you essentially have three to four months after the due date before you'll owe the full $100.

The bottom line is, if you renew it on time, you won't have any late fees.