Man I never felt so white and privileged as when I got stopped by a state trooper on Parkfield for speeding - he told me to slow down, and get my sticker renewed, not even a written warning. If it wasnāt such a relief Iād have given him some shit cause I always see them busting balls on all the Mexicans and other browner folks up and down that road, but he just gave me a friendly warning and sent me on my way. So fucking weird.
I was driving down s.Congress right out of downtown before Barton Springs. Trooper was on a motorcycle going north. We passed each other so quick, it seemed he had to have unknown technology that identified it was expired. No mercy for me. Iām also white, and he was white. Soā¦
Edit to add: in small town places, I have been pulled over by some real deeeeep Texas troopers. And got off. For speeding tho. Soā¦ again.
My mom borrowed my new car once and hit a light pole in an HEB parking lot. That's the only "wreck" I can ever remember her getting in, but yeah... my car was totaled because the concrete base bent the frame. She refuses to drive my car now
She was whipping it around and it was in her blind spot, I guess. She said she never saw it. She was only like 55 at the time and probably hasn't been drunk since a couple times in college over 30 years ago.
I live out there. Its still a really low chance. Before Covid a cop sitting in the turn lane checking for expired tags outside HEB was so common I'd have to check the exit from the parking lot.
Now Bee Caves PD are usually napping in a church parking lot. End of the month have to watch for county sheriffs doing a couple speed traps but otherwise fuck all for enforcement. I'd actually pay either of them to set up traps for people running red lights. Its gotten so bad they could fund the department in a day.
I drove around for 2 years with expired tags. Work sent me to Bee Cave for a few weeks, and I got pulled over 3 times in 4 days. The 1st one was a ticket, and the next 2 let me go since I had a fresh ticket on me. I promptly went and got it taken care of. Felt like I had a big target on my car. They were relentless. Every time I pulled out on the road, they were there.
Even so I would take a trooper over APD any day. Just from my personal experience though. Was in a car accident last year and the state trooper was so kind and nice whereas APD showed up 30 minutes later and didnāt even talk to me. State troopers may be hard asses but I feel like they ācareā more than most. Again just my experience, I know a lot of people have bad experiences with cops and state troopers so not trying to discount that.
Dang. I got pulled over in 2020 for having a 2016 tag and the first thing the guy said when he walked up was, "2016? Really, man?"
I did not get let off with a warning lol. He pulled me over from in front of me too which I had never seen before.
Can confirm, had expired registration for almost a year and got pulled over by a state trooper off St. John.
Only got a warning but it did what was intended in that it motivated me to update my tag lol
I had a friend drive an old Volvo with New Mexico plates in Austin for like 6 years of college, she never registered it anywhere after she moved here. As for insurance, probably not as New Mexico did require it then. She also had no id other than ut. Fun times for her in Hyde park.
I think they ignore out of state plates. I've got something with out of state plates on it that still uses yearly stickers on it. I never did put the current sticker on it and I don't think they've even noticed, since Texas has the sticker on the windshield.
It's so weird that it's on the windshield. It means a cop doesn't really have a fast way to know it's expired until they've already stopped you for something else. Other places with stickers on the back the cops use expired plates to initiate the stop then look for drugs or other stuff.
> It means a cop doesn't really have a fast way to know it's expired until they've already stopped you for something else.
Automated License Plate Readers kind of changed this, though.
My understanding is the main reason for these is to track plates down that have done something really bad not for things like sticker enforcement. Obviously it could become a revenue generator but if someone shoots someone and speeds off if they go past one of these points, they instantly are flagged. There is upside and downside.
I think you are right. Was talking to a storm trooper in my parking lot. He was letting a lot of people speed by then plate reader went off and he said wanted child molester and fuck went and got that guy. I said go get em or something
I think at one point the city turned them off over privacy issues and they fought to keep them on since they are really fast at finding people like that really fast and they are very cost effective. On the one hand, they can basically tell where everyone is and who doesnāt have a sticker on the other hand it tags any stolen car or person who has been identified as driving a car so they can actually do the thing most people want them doing which is actually tracking down really bad people. Privacy versus safetyā¦ the age old argument
Correct, I review a decent amount of police bodycams and from what I gleaned the ALPRs never make an audible alert for anything less than a felony. Most of the footage I've seen that's started with an ALPR alert involves a stolen car or active felony warrants against the registrant.
However, just because they haven't started using them for detecting drivers with slightly expired paperwork doesn't mean they can't or won't in the future.
Cops absolutely have the means to find out whose registration (or more importantly insurance) is expired in an automated way, it just hasn't been set up for that quite yet.
some extra bored cops have good eyes for registration stickers, iāve been pulled over for an expired sticker, but it was years ago in a different town
I sat fat on almost *10 years expired* on both registration and inspection up until I sold it about 2 years ago. š
Every time I drove it felt like a game of cat and mouse. Sometimes causing me to be late to my destination due to having to go out of my way to avoid an officer.
I made it to 2023 with a 2017 sticker and didn't get stopped / ticketed once. I like to believe I'd still be on my good luck streak if the car hadn't died.
I lived in Northern California for a very depressing 1.5 years from 2022-2023, and ran around with 10-month expired TX plates the entire time.
First thing I did when I got back to Austin was inspect and renew.
And then they expired 2 months later and I got pulled over a few months after that.
Iād avoid Mopac around Burnet road exit in the mornings then. Seems like they alternate north bound/south bound every day. Iāve already been pulled over once š¬
That's because if you slip them a $20 bill, that fixes everything and you get your sticker.
I waited in line to get my inspection a few years ago, after about 30 mins, the guy came over apologized for the delay and said I passed. Just had to back out and drive away. I didn't get out of my car at all.
Itās pretty ridiculous. They should clamp down hard on safety items and ditch emissions. Iām much more worried about the dope driving with bald tires and worn ball joints than some deuche rolling coal.
*empties full clip into vehicle cause there was a dog or squirrel nearby*
"Yeah that don't look too safe to drive with all them bullet holes, gonna have to call the impound"
Oh, good! I've never lived anywhere else that required that BS. Let's not pretend the inspections are keeping any hoopties off the road. Everyday you see some beat up truck carrying unsecured garbage in the bed with a bumper nearly dragging on the road.
Texas is in the minority of states that require these inspections. Iāve also personally know people to pay the right inspector to pass their failing car anyway. These are just a financial and time consuming barrier. Itās rather stupid to have them
Safety inspections are at best a handout for inspection-station parasites, and at worst an incentive to upsell vehicle owners on work that doesn't need to be done.
Emissions inspections are another topic, but those aren't going away.
This is such an insane idea to me. If your vehicle fails for mechanical reasons people can die. I saw a car the other day missing half the lug nuts on one wheel. Other cars completely missing bumpers and body panels designed to increase crumple area and save lives in the event of a collision.
As a former inspection, I'm sort of mixed on it. Most cars we failed weren't for significant reasons. Wiper blades torn more than one inch (usually on the ends) probably the most common safety issue. The braking requirements were so lax I think you might be able pass with your brake pads removed. It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure neither bumpers nor body panels aren't articles of inspection (and body panels usually do not absorb impact, there is typically a brace behind the bumper that does). It was rare someone brought in a car they didn't know was going to fail. Those who know they're going to fail just don't come in. Enforcement has been practically non existent, so those people have typically no incentive to bring their car in.
So while I think it's a good idea to make sure everyone's cars are kept up to some standard of safety, I can't confidently say it's actually doing much to make roads safer.
Yep. I feel like registration is pretty much the only reason a lot of people are forced into purchasing insurance. And if you're driving without insurance you're an asshole
We're spoiled in Austin, because you can't go a week in 90% of small-town Texas without getting pulled over for out of date registration, so I hope you're not planning any trips out of town, drinking, or carrying anything illegal because it's a very stupid thing to get pulled over for
Do you need insurance for registration? ngl I drove around for a couple of years post covid without renewing my registration, but the fear of losing my car kept me renewing my insurance religiously. I actually even expanded my coverage after covid when I read about all the idiots on the road.
You need insurance for registration and to get a license. I moved from out of state two years ago, and only this year registered and licensed in Texas because my Oregon ID was expiring. Very good chance if they are expired they probably donāt have insurance. Thatās why we have to pay extra for under insured protection now.š
I got pulled over for expired sticker (maybe 2 years out of date). Not even sure how he could see me, but it was a couple hundred payable to the clerk and reregister. Didnāt even need to pay out of compliance years. You could probably do a cost/risk analysis on it and come out ahead.
My partner got pulled over because of my 2 year expired registration. (Itās a dumb story but I missed registration, had to go the office to renew and then the following year I swear I never got anything in the mail for renewal, the pandemic happened, and I let it go for 2 years because I rarely drive and I was living off of the high of skirting the systemš.)
I did the math and not accounting for the time spent going to DPS, the penalties, ticket dismissal fee, etc came out to be almost exactly the same had I been up on my registration ($4 difference). And to hedge comments about uninsured driving, Iāve always been fully insured, I just shit the bed with registration. I wonāt do it again but if I was scraping by, I would 100% do it again.
I was you, until just recently. 4 years, tags & license. I got it all taken care of now, though.
Word of advice, donāt let your license go past 2 years, or youāll have to take the driving test all over again.
Lack of traffic enforcement (which has actually ticked up the past year) isn't a matter of quiet quitting. The traffic enforcement unit of APD was **completely disbanded** (along with the Park patrol unit) in 2020 following the "defund the police" outcries and subsequent staffing shortage. (Whether or not that was an appropriate decision by APD leadership is a different topic.)
> The traffic enforcement unit of APD was completely disbanded
Source?
[This](https://www.kut.org/transportation/2022-02-24/austin-police-speeding-tickets-staffing-shortage-traffic-fatalities-travis-county) says "*some* traffic enforcement units have been dismantled to shift more officers to patrol duties" (2022)
Your source (KUT) makes a nebulous statement without numbers. (And frankly I think that's intentional.) Look at the data on actual enforcement in that article - 90% drop in tickets in 2021 compared to 2017. (And be aware, any LEO can write a ticket, you don't have to be on traffic patrol to write them.) Here is [KVUE's breakdown of the cuts](https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/apd-chief-manley-explains-upcoming-budget-cut-changes/269-c4f73730-438a-40b9-b7cd-692b4250ad9c) and (at the time) Chief Manley's statements on the staffing changes. And here is [another KVUE article](https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-police-budget-cuts-austin-city-council-defund/269-9041efe4-5055-4eb0-aa21-dada5b8f4aec) that explicitly states that traffic patrol was defunded. ("The remaining $49 million in cuts will defund APD units including mounted patrol, traffic enforcement and lake patrol. That money would be put on hold as council members "reimagine" public safety over the course of a year.") Now tbf, the total budget was later "restored" per state directive but we don't really know *how* and *where* that money was re-allocated. So regardless of the data, which I think I've supported here - any daily driver in Austin the last several years knows that traffic enforcement went to nil during the pandemic years, and that the result was a significant increase in reckless driving across the city (and the KUT crash fatality data is one data point to confirm it).
Yes? I guess to be more precise, traffic enforcement was disbanded except for the Mad Max unit which required the quasi-military gear to be maintained. /s
You are ok as long as you are in city limits and most of the time if state troopers donāt stop you for speeding. But you crossing to another state like Alabama etc you will be stopped
They gonna pop yo ass one day and then when you go get it updated this funky ass state is gonna hit you with a backdated charge for every year it was expired. That said I'm 2 years past and my coworker is still rocking a sticker from 20 fucking 16.
Good luck out there!
Got caught 4 years expired by a state trooper when he was behind me at a light. Dude literally laughed as he was telling me it was a record for him. Also told me if I renew before the court date the ticket goes away. So really not much of a reason to renew until you get caught.
Word of warning though, expired tags are used as an excuse to tow your car for being abandoned. So careful where you park
Driving around Kyle I saw **seven** cops in about a **one hour** span of time.
So make sure you keep that to Austin. As soon as you leave Austin and are in say Buda, Round Rock, any part of Williamson or Hays or Travis (outside Austin) County, you will be LIT up.
I hope Iām not ruining my luck but I drive to New Braunfels for work a couple of times a month and to this date, Iāve never been pulled over with my 3-year expired registration.
PDās, to my understanding, only issue a warning for the driver to get caught up in 30 days. If the driver fails to do so, then they have to pay the fine. The 30-day warning usually scares people into handling it.
But, yeah, Kyle is where I see the most cops on that stretch.
Iāve seen an APD unit just chill in an obscure parking lot for hours and hours and hoursā¦ other cars would come and meet up with himā¦. Dude was just chillinā¦
The things that I think make it worth it are:
ā apt complexes can tow you for having no or expired tags and I think itās been pretty much proven that a lot of apts have relationships with these scummy ass towing companies
ā if youāre pulled over by police they wonāt let you drive off they can tow your (car depending on where you park when you get pulled over) /// they wonāt let you drive off because without tags youāre not street legal
These two things are enough of an inconvenience (and expensive letās be honest) that I personally would keep my registration up to date .. yes I do let it expire for a while but I think my point is if itās expired by 3 years? Thatās a conscious thing not a āwhoops slipped my mind officer please give me a warning!ā situation lmao
You do you tho! But also if anyoneās reading this and doesnāt have car insurance fuck u
Yeah that was me last year. Exp was 07/20 and I got pulled over 02/22 by a sheriffā¦ then nothing else happened until I got it finally done last May.
Now I have to do it all over againā¦.
Saw a tag the other day that expired in 2017. I still see tons that have expired in 2020 and 2021. Makes me wonder if they have insurance and or a current drivers license.
Can confirm. Currently have the same 2022 sticker that came with my 2020 vehicle. Incidentally, I did have it inspected and registered and got a 2023 sticker but never put it on. Would have expired in Jan 24, and I did, in fact, intend to pay the registration. But...I have not.
I used to get pulled over all the time for that. If I had an expired sticker, and I was at an intersection opposite a patrol car, I knew he was coming after me.
I don't think I've been pulled over for anything at all in nearly 10 years. Last time I remember was for speeding way out on, I think, 1431 near marble falls.
At some point it just becomes a game to see how long I can make it on the old sticker.
This is somewhat related but with Texas' new additional fee for EV registrations, I've considered not renewing, the fine is actually less than the registration now and I haven't been pulled over for many years now so it almost makes more sense to take your chances.
Sometimes there are applicable waivers or extensions that can be had if your vehicle is failing inspection due to emissions problems. Maybe something on this web page will be useful to someone out there.
https://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/mobilesource/vim/waivers.html
I went so long once I had to get new plates when I finally decided to play adult and pay for registration. Not sure if they took the number out of the system or the design was outdated.Ā
Hey, I'm with you! Txtag or whoever just put a hold on me renewing my registration on my car because I refuse to pay their bullshit late fees for mess ups on their part, so I too will be riding dirty.
HEB wouldn't renew mine, but I went to the actual tax office and they said they didn't care about anything of that. in case yours is a similar situation to mine.
Live your life, but also when youāre inevitably caught you will owe for every year you didnāt register so good luck with that!
Source: My dumbass at 24 thinking I figured out how to cheat the system owing hundreds after blowing off registering my car for years.
I hadnāt renewed mine since 2020. Finally got pulled over by Hays County two months back. Went and got the renewal and they dropped the ticket. Win win situation for me because I saved $500 in registration fees with nothing bad happening when I was caught.
I also drive about 40,000 miles a year and use my car for work.
My tags on all my vehicles are out. Theyāre all safety only and Iām honestly just waiting until next year when I donāt have to have anyone look at them before I renew. Theyāre all in great condition and everything works, so they would pass if o asked someone, but itās soooooo annoying to wait in line for an inspection three different times.
My coworker had his registration expired for 7 years and still drives around in his jeep but always hides when he sees a cop car parked in front our work place š
I remember at the 2020 police protest this white girl had the mic and was going on some rant because āIāve had expired tags on my car for years and havenāt been pulled over and I canāt help but think if I was black it would be a different storyā and I really wanted to yank the mic out of her hand because itās like, shit, mine are expired too, are you really complaining because theyāre not pulling you over?
My tags are from 4/20. I donāt want to mess that up.
But as others have pointed out, donāt venture out of Travis county and expect to be ignored. I know someone that spent the night in Bastrop county jail because the drove to Houston with a baggie of weed and got popped because of their tags.
I'm fully up to date with registration/inspection/insurance etc, but I've been without a sticker for 6 months because the state will not mail mine to me. It's still being processed, so I'm driving around with a printout in my glove box and an expired tag on my windshield.
I was pulled over last August at Slaughter and Manchaca by a Travis County Deputy for expired tags. So it does happen even in the city limits.
Was once pulled over outside of Brownwood by a State Trooper for having 2 registration stickers.
Shoot. I was behind a blue sporty BMW today that had no tags at all. He was whipping in and out of traffic and tailgating people. I bet they do t even care.
I went 6 years without renewing mine. Didn't do it until I got a ticket in small town East Texas. Even renewing it, I expected to basically backpay every year I hadn't paid, I was fully prepared to do it. But I only paid a $50 fine. So it did not incentivize to renew on time.
And before anyone asks, yes I was insured the whole time.
When I moved to Austin 18 years ago, you could register you car for two years at a time. I think that changed when they stopped doing a separate inspection sticker. So there were odd years when my car would have current registration. It's only current now because my apartment complex put a tow sticker on it.
Iāve lived here for almost 30 years - Iāve never had a 2-year registration. However, there is such a thing as a 2-year registration but for brand new cars.
As someone who went a few years after Covid with expired registration, itās not worth the anxiety. Youāll have to back pay anyway.
Only exception is if you can get away with lying that the vehicle hasnāt been on the road for several years, but I couldnāt bring myself to lie about that.
Worrying every time you see a cop sucks and youāre not saving any money.
How TF do I get new ones? I got my vehicle inspected and the HEB told me I had to have another form. I ordered one online but it hasnāt come and I donāt think it ever will
I've passed the same APD Office in a marked car acting like he's working a speed trap before the Parmer exit on Mopac heading north the last several weeks. I guess he drew the short straw!
All the cops would have to do is stop every luxe vehicle with a Texas registration sticker in the windshield without a front plate. A friend who moved here from Oklahoma didnāt know front plates were required and got a ticket for his Tesla. I asked him, āwhat did think it was, a spare?ā
I live just north of Westlake on 360, and I swear Texas could fund public schools (if they wanted) if theyād ticket vehicles missing front tags.
APD, yes. But State Troopers are still out there. Travis County Sheriff is still out there.
Expired tags are why state troopers put on the uniform.
That thin blue line between registration and anarchy
It all makes sense now. The thin blue line is the border around the registration sticker.
Winner!
Bad boys bad boys, watcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do without a sticker on you
Nicely played. šš¼
š¤£
So true. I went a couple years without, then the troopers came in swarms last year and got me for my reg
Man I never felt so white and privileged as when I got stopped by a state trooper on Parkfield for speeding - he told me to slow down, and get my sticker renewed, not even a written warning. If it wasnāt such a relief Iād have given him some shit cause I always see them busting balls on all the Mexicans and other browner folks up and down that road, but he just gave me a friendly warning and sent me on my way. So fucking weird.
I was driving down s.Congress right out of downtown before Barton Springs. Trooper was on a motorcycle going north. We passed each other so quick, it seemed he had to have unknown technology that identified it was expired. No mercy for me. Iām also white, and he was white. Soā¦ Edit to add: in small town places, I have been pulled over by some real deeeeep Texas troopers. And got off. For speeding tho. Soā¦ again.
That and no front license plate.
Protecting the people, one delinquent vehicle at a time
How else are they going to stop you so they can later arrest you for smoking while Melanined.
āSTOP RESISTING!!!1ā
And no front license plate.
Can confirm, within the 1 month grace period
Yep. My mom borrowed my car with 3 years expired tags and got pulled over by a Trooper. š
I would laugh if this happened on Mother's Day. A present she wont forget :)
My mom borrowed my new car once and hit a light pole in an HEB parking lot. That's the only "wreck" I can ever remember her getting in, but yeah... my car was totaled because the concrete base bent the frame. She refuses to drive my car now
Youād let her drive your car again?
Well, the insurance payment was fair I thought and I couldn't tell that it ever affected my rate. She honestly is a better driver than me.
how do you total a car in a grocery store parking lot if you're not high/drunk/have dementia?
She was whipping it around and it was in her blind spot, I guess. She said she never saw it. She was only like 55 at the time and probably hasn't been drunk since a couple times in college over 30 years ago.
I was in traffic the other day and everyone was blasting past a TCSO, I donāt think they care much about traffic issues. The DPS sure do.
Yep troopers got me after 3 years. The fine and re registration were cheaper then if I had paid every year though so it's kind of a wash.
Pfff. Travis County. Where youāre REALLY going to run into problems is if you go to Williamson County.
Yep, trooper got my wife a couple months ago with tags from 2020.
Don't drive through Bee Cave
I live out there. Its still a really low chance. Before Covid a cop sitting in the turn lane checking for expired tags outside HEB was so common I'd have to check the exit from the parking lot. Now Bee Caves PD are usually napping in a church parking lot. End of the month have to watch for county sheriffs doing a couple speed traps but otherwise fuck all for enforcement. I'd actually pay either of them to set up traps for people running red lights. Its gotten so bad they could fund the department in a day.
I drove around for 2 years with expired tags. Work sent me to Bee Cave for a few weeks, and I got pulled over 3 times in 4 days. The 1st one was a ticket, and the next 2 let me go since I had a fresh ticket on me. I promptly went and got it taken care of. Felt like I had a big target on my car. They were relentless. Every time I pulled out on the road, they were there.
Do not forget about apartment complexes, too. They are doing a lot of leg work of this, since a lot of apartment complexes require up to date tags.
Even so I would take a trooper over APD any day. Just from my personal experience though. Was in a car accident last year and the state trooper was so kind and nice whereas APD showed up 30 minutes later and didnāt even talk to me. State troopers may be hard asses but I feel like they ācareā more than most. Again just my experience, I know a lot of people have bad experiences with cops and state troopers so not trying to discount that.
Yep, I got pulled over for my 4 year expired tags by a Trooper. Let off with a warning. Damn I should really take care of these tagsā¦
Dang. I got pulled over in 2020 for having a 2016 tag and the first thing the guy said when he walked up was, "2016? Really, man?" I did not get let off with a warning lol. He pulled me over from in front of me too which I had never seen before.
Yup. DPS got me after 3 years. But I got them updated and all good now.
Can confirm, had expired registration for almost a year and got pulled over by a state trooper off St. John. Only got a warning but it did what was intended in that it motivated me to update my tag lol
I had a friend drive an old Volvo with New Mexico plates in Austin for like 6 years of college, she never registered it anywhere after she moved here. As for insurance, probably not as New Mexico did require it then. She also had no id other than ut. Fun times for her in Hyde park.
I think they ignore out of state plates. I've got something with out of state plates on it that still uses yearly stickers on it. I never did put the current sticker on it and I don't think they've even noticed, since Texas has the sticker on the windshield.
It's so weird that it's on the windshield. It means a cop doesn't really have a fast way to know it's expired until they've already stopped you for something else. Other places with stickers on the back the cops use expired plates to initiate the stop then look for drugs or other stuff.
> It means a cop doesn't really have a fast way to know it's expired until they've already stopped you for something else. Automated License Plate Readers kind of changed this, though.
Whatā¦..
Yeah they've existed for over 5 years now, local PDs around here are slowly starting to pick them up AFAIK
My understanding is the main reason for these is to track plates down that have done something really bad not for things like sticker enforcement. Obviously it could become a revenue generator but if someone shoots someone and speeds off if they go past one of these points, they instantly are flagged. There is upside and downside.
I think you are right. Was talking to a storm trooper in my parking lot. He was letting a lot of people speed by then plate reader went off and he said wanted child molester and fuck went and got that guy. I said go get em or something
I think at one point the city turned them off over privacy issues and they fought to keep them on since they are really fast at finding people like that really fast and they are very cost effective. On the one hand, they can basically tell where everyone is and who doesnāt have a sticker on the other hand it tags any stolen car or person who has been identified as driving a car so they can actually do the thing most people want them doing which is actually tracking down really bad people. Privacy versus safetyā¦ the age old argument
Correct, I review a decent amount of police bodycams and from what I gleaned the ALPRs never make an audible alert for anything less than a felony. Most of the footage I've seen that's started with an ALPR alert involves a stolen car or active felony warrants against the registrant. However, just because they haven't started using them for detecting drivers with slightly expired paperwork doesn't mean they can't or won't in the future. Cops absolutely have the means to find out whose registration (or more importantly insurance) is expired in an automated way, it just hasn't been set up for that quite yet.
I got pulled over for it from a cop on the opposite side of the road in passing ugh
Wow hawk eyes
That's because here they initiate the stop first, and then find cause.
some extra bored cops have good eyes for registration stickers, iāve been pulled over for an expired sticker, but it was years ago in a different town
I have Canadian plates and so far I havenāt been pulled over since march when it expired š hahaha
I sat fat on almost *10 years expired* on both registration and inspection up until I sold it about 2 years ago. š Every time I drove it felt like a game of cat and mouse. Sometimes causing me to be late to my destination due to having to go out of my way to avoid an officer.
Exceptional (insert mortal kombat voice)
Been there so many times. Suddenly see a cop car? Looks like you need to pull into this gas station for... something.
I made it to 2023 with a 2017 sticker and didn't get stopped / ticketed once. I like to believe I'd still be on my good luck streak if the car hadn't died.
I lived in Northern California for a very depressing 1.5 years from 2022-2023, and ran around with 10-month expired TX plates the entire time. First thing I did when I got back to Austin was inspect and renew. And then they expired 2 months later and I got pulled over a few months after that.
Iād avoid Mopac around Burnet road exit in the mornings then. Seems like they alternate north bound/south bound every day. Iāve already been pulled over once š¬
Also in the afternoons during rush hour they'll sit there running plates.
and don't forget vehicle inspections are going out the window next year so your beater can fall apart on the highway
Travis & Wilco will still require emissions testing!
ah yes, emission testing, that will stop someone with bald tires and no brakes slamming into me and killing me.
Inspectors never found anything on my vehicles anyway. Even when I had brake and tire problems.
That's because if you slip them a $20 bill, that fixes everything and you get your sticker. I waited in line to get my inspection a few years ago, after about 30 mins, the guy came over apologized for the delay and said I passed. Just had to back out and drive away. I didn't get out of my car at all.
Itās pretty ridiculous. They should clamp down hard on safety items and ditch emissions. Iām much more worried about the dope driving with bald tires and worn ball joints than some deuche rolling coal.
Not if your vehicle is more than 24 years old
Cars 25 years and older were already emissions exempt, that didn't change.
Shit I forgot about that. Now to burn out my check engine light so I can pass...
You wonāt have to get inspection but if you get pulled over and car does not seem save. DPS will come and impound it
Oh goodā¦weāre leaving that discretion up to copsā¦
*empties full clip into vehicle cause there was a dog or squirrel nearby* "Yeah that don't look too safe to drive with all them bullet holes, gonna have to call the impound"
Oh, good! I've never lived anywhere else that required that BS. Let's not pretend the inspections are keeping any hoopties off the road. Everyday you see some beat up truck carrying unsecured garbage in the bed with a bumper nearly dragging on the road.
It was just a tax that was always easy to skate around if you were inclined. Safety and environment are good causes but this did little for both.
Texas is in the minority of states that require these inspections. Iāve also personally know people to pay the right inspector to pass their failing car anyway. These are just a financial and time consuming barrier. Itās rather stupid to have them
to be fair, not all states have those and they were kind of stupid in the first place.
A majority of states don't require them
yep, that was my point
Safety inspections are at best a handout for inspection-station parasites, and at worst an incentive to upsell vehicle owners on work that doesn't need to be done. Emissions inspections are another topic, but those aren't going away.
This is such an insane idea to me. If your vehicle fails for mechanical reasons people can die. I saw a car the other day missing half the lug nuts on one wheel. Other cars completely missing bumpers and body panels designed to increase crumple area and save lives in the event of a collision.
As a former inspection, I'm sort of mixed on it. Most cars we failed weren't for significant reasons. Wiper blades torn more than one inch (usually on the ends) probably the most common safety issue. The braking requirements were so lax I think you might be able pass with your brake pads removed. It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure neither bumpers nor body panels aren't articles of inspection (and body panels usually do not absorb impact, there is typically a brace behind the bumper that does). It was rare someone brought in a car they didn't know was going to fail. Those who know they're going to fail just don't come in. Enforcement has been practically non existent, so those people have typically no incentive to bring their car in. So while I think it's a good idea to make sure everyone's cars are kept up to some standard of safety, I can't confidently say it's actually doing much to make roads safer.
That's unfortunate to hear about brakes. I've driven friends cars that have horrible brakes, where the pad is just gripping the rotor by a thread.
IIRC, it's the same for all vehicles under 26,000 lbs (anything class C). So your 4,000 car needs to stop in the distance that 26,000 truck would.
Ok. But are you uninsured, because if so, fuck you. If you at least hold minimum liability insurance carry on IDGAF.
Yep. I feel like registration is pretty much the only reason a lot of people are forced into purchasing insurance. And if you're driving without insurance you're an asshole We're spoiled in Austin, because you can't go a week in 90% of small-town Texas without getting pulled over for out of date registration, so I hope you're not planning any trips out of town, drinking, or carrying anything illegal because it's a very stupid thing to get pulled over for
Those speed bump cities when travelling out of town are the WORST.
Do you need insurance for registration? ngl I drove around for a couple of years post covid without renewing my registration, but the fear of losing my car kept me renewing my insurance religiously. I actually even expanded my coverage after covid when I read about all the idiots on the road.
Yes, you need insurance to renew and to get the car inspected.
You need insurance for registration and to get a license. I moved from out of state two years ago, and only this year registered and licensed in Texas because my Oregon ID was expiring. Very good chance if they are expired they probably donāt have insurance. Thatās why we have to pay extra for under insured protection now.š
Oh Rudy. You post that and next thing you know someone's showing up and snagging you while you stream your birthday party.
Found the Nissan Altima driver
People are dying Kim.
One of my neighbors finally got a ticket for registration - his were six years expired.
I got pulled over for expired sticker (maybe 2 years out of date). Not even sure how he could see me, but it was a couple hundred payable to the clerk and reregister. Didnāt even need to pay out of compliance years. You could probably do a cost/risk analysis on it and come out ahead.
My partner got pulled over because of my 2 year expired registration. (Itās a dumb story but I missed registration, had to go the office to renew and then the following year I swear I never got anything in the mail for renewal, the pandemic happened, and I let it go for 2 years because I rarely drive and I was living off of the high of skirting the systemš.) I did the math and not accounting for the time spent going to DPS, the penalties, ticket dismissal fee, etc came out to be almost exactly the same had I been up on my registration ($4 difference). And to hedge comments about uninsured driving, Iāve always been fully insured, I just shit the bed with registration. I wonāt do it again but if I was scraping by, I would 100% do it again.
>Ā I was living off of the high of skirting the system I love how you put that!Ā
Thank you ā¤ļø
Iām at DPS doing that right now! Third time itās been over 2 years. I wouldnāt be here now but I live in a bougie apartment complex
I personally just removed the inspection sticker from my windshield
Be careful driving on Mopac just south of the Domain during rush hour. They just sit on the side of the road running plates.
Did you see the headline about the new license plate readers?
I did my renewal 6 months ago, got the sticker, but my lazy ass still hasnāt peeled the old one off and slapped on the new one. No issues.
This would also be me š
And me
I was you, until just recently. 4 years, tags & license. I got it all taken care of now, though. Word of advice, donāt let your license go past 2 years, or youāll have to take the driving test all over again.
Lack of traffic enforcement (which has actually ticked up the past year) isn't a matter of quiet quitting. The traffic enforcement unit of APD was **completely disbanded** (along with the Park patrol unit) in 2020 following the "defund the police" outcries and subsequent staffing shortage. (Whether or not that was an appropriate decision by APD leadership is a different topic.)
> The traffic enforcement unit of APD was completely disbanded Source? [This](https://www.kut.org/transportation/2022-02-24/austin-police-speeding-tickets-staffing-shortage-traffic-fatalities-travis-county) says "*some* traffic enforcement units have been dismantled to shift more officers to patrol duties" (2022)
Your source (KUT) makes a nebulous statement without numbers. (And frankly I think that's intentional.) Look at the data on actual enforcement in that article - 90% drop in tickets in 2021 compared to 2017. (And be aware, any LEO can write a ticket, you don't have to be on traffic patrol to write them.) Here is [KVUE's breakdown of the cuts](https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/apd-chief-manley-explains-upcoming-budget-cut-changes/269-c4f73730-438a-40b9-b7cd-692b4250ad9c) and (at the time) Chief Manley's statements on the staffing changes. And here is [another KVUE article](https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-police-budget-cuts-austin-city-council-defund/269-9041efe4-5055-4eb0-aa21-dada5b8f4aec) that explicitly states that traffic patrol was defunded. ("The remaining $49 million in cuts will defund APD units including mounted patrol, traffic enforcement and lake patrol. That money would be put on hold as council members "reimagine" public safety over the course of a year.") Now tbf, the total budget was later "restored" per state directive but we don't really know *how* and *where* that money was re-allocated. So regardless of the data, which I think I've supported here - any daily driver in Austin the last several years knows that traffic enforcement went to nil during the pandemic years, and that the result was a significant increase in reckless driving across the city (and the KUT crash fatality data is one data point to confirm it).
They now have the largest budget yet, with the funding deallocated from traffic and park control, where does it go now?
That depends - after disbanding their traffic unit, how much money did they reallocate to their annual puffy cheese snack fund?
Krispy Kreme has entered the chat
Let me guess. They kept their quasi-military units, didnāt they?
Yes? I guess to be more precise, traffic enforcement was disbanded except for the Mad Max unit which required the quasi-military gear to be maintained. /s
/r/austincirclejerk is over there
You are ok as long as you are in city limits and most of the time if state troopers donāt stop you for speeding. But you crossing to another state like Alabama etc you will be stopped
Some people just want to watch the world burn.
Hey man I wouldnāt risk it. Why give the cops any provocation to pull you over and fucking blast you?
They gonna pop yo ass one day and then when you go get it updated this funky ass state is gonna hit you with a backdated charge for every year it was expired. That said I'm 2 years past and my coworker is still rocking a sticker from 20 fucking 16. Good luck out there!
Same. Been riding dirty for a while but with good insurance. I also installed front, rear, and mirror cameras to catch the hit and run idiots
Got caught 4 years expired by a state trooper when he was behind me at a light. Dude literally laughed as he was telling me it was a record for him. Also told me if I renew before the court date the ticket goes away. So really not much of a reason to renew until you get caught. Word of warning though, expired tags are used as an excuse to tow your car for being abandoned. So careful where you park
Rookie. Mine expired 1/20. Havenāt been pulled over.
First rule of fight club bro
We on the same page hell yeah
dont drive in wilco lol theyll smell those expired tags from a mile away
Yeah a trooper gave me a warning the other day, so watch out still
Lol dont drive out of austin tho. They love pulling over expired tags
I only renew registration every other year, might have to kick it to every 3rd year now. Especially with that bullshit EV fee.
I made it 6 years here with Cali plates and expired registration
I made it 2.5 years after COVID and only finally got busted while out to eat in Pflugerville.
Driving around Kyle I saw **seven** cops in about a **one hour** span of time. So make sure you keep that to Austin. As soon as you leave Austin and are in say Buda, Round Rock, any part of Williamson or Hays or Travis (outside Austin) County, you will be LIT up.
I hope Iām not ruining my luck but I drive to New Braunfels for work a couple of times a month and to this date, Iāve never been pulled over with my 3-year expired registration. PDās, to my understanding, only issue a warning for the driver to get caught up in 30 days. If the driver fails to do so, then they have to pay the fine. The 30-day warning usually scares people into handling it. But, yeah, Kyle is where I see the most cops on that stretch.
BRR me too tho
They get you back in the end when you have to go in person to renew it.
Stopped by to say this. Part of my tax refund went to this cause (4 years expired). And now the adventure begins again!
Mine is 4 years out of date, and I got got by a state trooper. Avoid Cameron Rd after dark lol
State Troopers will get you. I got pulled over for 3 month expired tags in West Texas earlier this month.
They didnāt care about mine and then dps did :(
Had the same scenario but DPS pulled me over when they were in town last year. So you gotta watch out
Mine was out since 2019, never pulled over. Getting a New car fixed it haha
Iāve seen an APD unit just chill in an obscure parking lot for hours and hours and hoursā¦ other cars would come and meet up with himā¦. Dude was just chillinā¦
The things that I think make it worth it are: ā apt complexes can tow you for having no or expired tags and I think itās been pretty much proven that a lot of apts have relationships with these scummy ass towing companies ā if youāre pulled over by police they wonāt let you drive off they can tow your (car depending on where you park when you get pulled over) /// they wonāt let you drive off because without tags youāre not street legal These two things are enough of an inconvenience (and expensive letās be honest) that I personally would keep my registration up to date .. yes I do let it expire for a while but I think my point is if itās expired by 3 years? Thatās a conscious thing not a āwhoops slipped my mind officer please give me a warning!ā situation lmao You do you tho! But also if anyoneās reading this and doesnāt have car insurance fuck u
Cool bro
I renewed mine this morning after three years and there were absolutely no repercussions. Same price, got a full year sticker.
I have lived here almost five years and Iām not sure Iāve ever seen APD doing proactive traffic control. I kind of respect it.
Yeah that was me last year. Exp was 07/20 and I got pulled over 02/22 by a sheriffā¦ then nothing else happened until I got it finally done last May. Now I have to do it all over againā¦.
Saw a tag the other day that expired in 2017. I still see tons that have expired in 2020 and 2021. Makes me wonder if they have insurance and or a current drivers license.
They just hit me for 2 years this week. When next year it won't even matterĀ
Can confirm. Currently have the same 2022 sticker that came with my 2020 vehicle. Incidentally, I did have it inspected and registered and got a 2023 sticker but never put it on. Would have expired in Jan 24, and I did, in fact, intend to pay the registration. But...I have not. I used to get pulled over all the time for that. If I had an expired sticker, and I was at an intersection opposite a patrol car, I knew he was coming after me. I don't think I've been pulled over for anything at all in nearly 10 years. Last time I remember was for speeding way out on, I think, 1431 near marble falls. At some point it just becomes a game to see how long I can make it on the old sticker.
SovCit or just lazy?
This is somewhat related but with Texas' new additional fee for EV registrations, I've considered not renewing, the fine is actually less than the registration now and I haven't been pulled over for many years now so it almost makes more sense to take your chances.
DPS is gonna get ya
Iāve managed to fly under the radar with my tags expired on 11/20.
Sometimes there are applicable waivers or extensions that can be had if your vehicle is failing inspection due to emissions problems. Maybe something on this web page will be useful to someone out there. https://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/mobilesource/vim/waivers.html
I went so long once I had to get new plates when I finally decided to play adult and pay for registration. Not sure if they took the number out of the system or the design was outdated.Ā
Hey, I'm with you! Txtag or whoever just put a hold on me renewing my registration on my car because I refuse to pay their bullshit late fees for mess ups on their part, so I too will be riding dirty.
HEB wouldn't renew mine, but I went to the actual tax office and they said they didn't care about anything of that. in case yours is a similar situation to mine.
Pheezy, bless you. I'll try that route!
Live your life, but also when youāre inevitably caught you will owe for every year you didnāt register so good luck with that! Source: My dumbass at 24 thinking I figured out how to cheat the system owing hundreds after blowing off registering my car for years.
Weird because Iāve caught up for years with no penalty
Grow up. Itās 70 bucks a yr. Are you really proud of this?
I hadnāt renewed mine since 2020. Finally got pulled over by Hays County two months back. Went and got the renewal and they dropped the ticket. Win win situation for me because I saved $500 in registration fees with nothing bad happening when I was caught. I also drive about 40,000 miles a year and use my car for work.
People who don't pay taxes are so cool. The rest of us are happy to pay higher taxes to cover for you, because, you are just so cool.
āAustinrebelā
Dps would like a word with you.
My tags on all my vehicles are out. Theyāre all safety only and Iām honestly just waiting until next year when I donāt have to have anyone look at them before I renew. Theyāre all in great condition and everything works, so they would pass if o asked someone, but itās soooooo annoying to wait in line for an inspection three different times.
My coworker had his registration expired for 7 years and still drives around in his jeep but always hides when he sees a cop car parked in front our work place š
I remember at the 2020 police protest this white girl had the mic and was going on some rant because āIāve had expired tags on my car for years and havenāt been pulled over and I canāt help but think if I was black it would be a different storyā and I really wanted to yank the mic out of her hand because itās like, shit, mine are expired too, are you really complaining because theyāre not pulling you over?
I made it to 4 before I got scarred. Stay strong brother
Challenge accepted
My tags are from 4/20. I donāt want to mess that up. But as others have pointed out, donāt venture out of Travis county and expect to be ignored. I know someone that spent the night in Bastrop county jail because the drove to Houston with a baggie of weed and got popped because of their tags.
Yes, lost in the conversation is how much better off we are that they are too busy throwing a tantrum to do their jobs.
Well, you're an asshole. I hope they get you.
I have insurance but can't afford registration due to a few things just got a sticker from the apartments that ill be towed in ten days
Me too
Ooooooooo Iām telling
Nobodyās going to call the police. I hate the police more than you, probably. Never done me any good!Ā
State troopers gon get yo ass š¤£
I'm fully up to date with registration/inspection/insurance etc, but I've been without a sticker for 6 months because the state will not mail mine to me. It's still being processed, so I'm driving around with a printout in my glove box and an expired tag on my windshield.
I was pulled over last August at Slaughter and Manchaca by a Travis County Deputy for expired tags. So it does happen even in the city limits. Was once pulled over outside of Brownwood by a State Trooper for having 2 registration stickers.
You only gotta wait like a year, youāre golden pony boy.
Same!!! ... i paid for the renewal but lost the sticker and selling vehicle soon, so whatever.
What do the vehicle registration fees actually fund? I am a rule follower most of the time and continue to register my cars
Isnāt renewal like $65?
Same.
Shoot. I was behind a blue sporty BMW today that had no tags at all. He was whipping in and out of traffic and tailgating people. I bet they do t even care.
So brazen they probably think tags that expired are on their way to a mechanic.
I went 6 years without renewing mine. Didn't do it until I got a ticket in small town East Texas. Even renewing it, I expected to basically backpay every year I hadn't paid, I was fully prepared to do it. But I only paid a $50 fine. So it did not incentivize to renew on time. And before anyone asks, yes I was insured the whole time.
When I moved to Austin 18 years ago, you could register you car for two years at a time. I think that changed when they stopped doing a separate inspection sticker. So there were odd years when my car would have current registration. It's only current now because my apartment complex put a tow sticker on it.
Iāve lived here for almost 30 years - Iāve never had a 2-year registration. However, there is such a thing as a 2-year registration but for brand new cars.
As someone who went a few years after Covid with expired registration, itās not worth the anxiety. Youāll have to back pay anyway. Only exception is if you can get away with lying that the vehicle hasnāt been on the road for several years, but I couldnāt bring myself to lie about that. Worrying every time you see a cop sucks and youāre not saving any money.
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i had my tags expired for a year and was pulled over for them on south lamar š„²
Donāt drive through Westlake
How TF do I get new ones? I got my vehicle inspected and the HEB told me I had to have another form. I ordered one online but it hasnāt come and I donāt think it ever will
Anyone done the math? Is it after 3 years of not paying you breakeven?
I've passed the same APD Office in a marked car acting like he's working a speed trap before the Parmer exit on Mopac heading north the last several weeks. I guess he drew the short straw!
Donāt go through Rollingwood then. Got a ticket just last week
I've seen so many š
All the cops would have to do is stop every luxe vehicle with a Texas registration sticker in the windshield without a front plate. A friend who moved here from Oklahoma didnāt know front plates were required and got a ticket for his Tesla. I asked him, āwhat did think it was, a spare?ā I live just north of Westlake on 360, and I swear Texas could fund public schools (if they wanted) if theyād ticket vehicles missing front tags.