Rego Expired. Got Pulled over and Fined for $1636. but Have to Pay CTP for The Overdue Days?

elvislj on 20/04/2025 - 19:57
Last edited 21/04/2025 - 21:43

[Edit]: Thanks to AngoraFish and Bobbified for explaining there is CTP pool to share with the other drivers in NSW (nominal defendant). This is what this post was intended to ask. Also there is a switch in NSW service app to change the reminder from paper mail to digital. Case closed

[Fun Fact]:
In California the fine for driving unregistered vehicle is $280 and it can be dismissed by paying the rego soon after the police ticket.
In New Zealand the fine is $200 and there is no compulsory insurance.
in UK it's 80 pounds.
In British Columbia it's $108 Canadian

Searched other posts where people had the same fine, Its seems that many commenters think the $1636 is well deserved. well wait until it bites you one day. only in Australia the penalties are so costly for an honest mistake.

——-Original post——-

Got fined on the spot this arvo. Stupid mistake, totally forgot about it, it's overdue for 3 months. I don't check mailbox anymore and there is no email/SMS at all. Checked service NSW app there is no message or notification for reminders. at least they should send reminders other than paper letter.

well enough rants, my fault after all. Guess just have to suck it up.

Now paying the renewal and greenslip, it's required to pay from the expiry date which was 3 months ago. not sure why we have to pay for insurance for the missing time? I already got fined for driving uninsured vehicle for $818. if it's uninsured then I should not have to pay for the uninsured 3 months.

Automotive

Comments

  • grog on 20/04/2025 - 20:01
    +8

    Popcorn

    grog on 20/04/2025 - 20:01 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
  • MS Paint on 20/04/2025 - 20:06
    +11

    🎻

    MS Paint on 20/04/2025 - 20:06 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
  • simplystu on 20/04/2025 - 20:10

    OP … silly you.

    With regards to my GF … she missed the first notice of vehicle renewal + final notice in mail too.
    …. From that final notice - they do give you 3 months grace.

    She got picked up (within that 3 month grace period) … and was OK - as long as she paid the rego straight away at a police station.
    OP … did you seriously go 3+ months without checking your letterbox ???

    than you have states (EG. VIC which are progressively going 100% digital).

    • elvislj on 20/04/2025 - 20:26
      -2

      thanks for the reply. I used to check mailbox but it's been a long time anything important come by mail.

      technically it will be 3 months tomorrow. I just renewed my overdue CTP the "used by day" date is tomorrow. the grace period probably not applicable in NSW.

      • simplystu on 20/04/2025 - 20:35
        -4

        so why didn't you go straight to a police station to pay it ???
        As you said - "tomorrow = technically 3 months" … so legally, not in the wrong.

        While I'm getting old (43+ years) … the way things are going ==- all online these days.
        But hey … I still check my letterbox 1 day/week - on a friday).

        BUT (being IT orientated) … what concerns me == email isn't 100% guaranteed (hence legal docs will still be required to sent by fax or courier) … and some email servers have a delay of 2-3 days before delivering +++ "no recip read flag"

        ANYTHING legal - should still be done the "snail mail way".

        • elvislj on 20/04/2025 - 20:45
          +1

          i think the rules are different each state. probably no "Grace period" in NSW. the policeman told me I will receive 2 fines. otherwise he will ask me to go pay at the station right away.

          • randomusername2017 on 20/04/2025 - 20:55
            +3

            @elvislj: 90 day grace period for continuity of registration. Zero official grace period for avoiding fines.

            Think NSW police prefer payments to be made outside the station.

          • Euphemistic on 20/04/2025 - 23:35
            +2

            @elvislj: Pay at servicd nsw,, not police station.

            • elvislj on 21/04/2025 - 00:42
              -1

              @Euphemistic: I have done that. Actually I could have just tell the policeman I am going to the mechanics to get pink slip. On the way to get pick slip can be exampted from driving unregistered.

        • ATTS on 22/04/2025 - 14:21

          Say you have an online drivers license, but for some reason you cant access it when pulled over, do you still get fined?

      • Dr Phil on 21/04/2025 - 16:07
        -6

        All insurance policies have commencement date
        For cars its the registration renewal date.
        It makes no difference if you pay late.

        However for cars, you can re-start the process over again by cancelling the registration and re-registering you car.
        Is it worth it? - No!

  • AustriaBargain on 20/04/2025 - 20:13
    +3

    Must be nice to be so rich that you don't even keep track of when rego is due to come out.

    • JIMB0 on 20/04/2025 - 20:26
      +4

      Must be nice to be able to afford to drive a car, especially one with registration.

      • Daabido on 21/04/2025 - 16:42

        Must be nice to be able to steal a pushy these day.

        • JIMB0 on 21/04/2025 - 17:20

          It's mostly crackheads riding pushbikes these days and the odd ozbargainer, all the kids are on electric scooters and bikes. It's not hard to find a decent pushy on hard rubbish.

  • mini2 on 20/04/2025 - 20:18
    +3

    Er…if it's over 90 days, didn't the coppers take your plate off you on the spot and now you'll need to get a blue slip?

    If it's under 90 days but getting close, let it sit until the 90th day and then get a blue slip; otherwise, you've lost 3 months of rego/green slip.

    • elvislj on 20/04/2025 - 20:27

      it will be 90 days tomorrow

    • JIMB0 on 20/04/2025 - 20:29
      +5

      They didn't really lose it, they've been driving the car the whole time.

    • kiitos on 21/04/2025 - 09:11

      How much would a blue slip be compared to a vehicle check/pink slip? And is it a more stringent check?

  • Wiadro on 20/04/2025 - 20:18

    hahaha - thats all

  • JIMB0 on 20/04/2025 - 20:18
    +5

    Paid SMS reminders look like a bargain now.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/897126

    • pegaxs on 20/04/2025 - 22:39

      Hehehe… came here to quote the same “bargain”.

    • dcep on 20/04/2025 - 23:04

      You know some ppl tend to pay more attention to paid service seriously than taking the free ones for granted.

  • AngoraFish on 20/04/2025 - 20:24
    +19

    Backdating all of these charges is actually doing you a favour, because the alternative is that your unregistered car would need to get a completely new roadworthy certificate.

    Essentially the only actual penalty you're paying here is the $700 fine, the rest is just the exact same charges that you would have had to pay anyway.

    The fine for driving uninsured is a different thing - it's a legal penalty to discourage you from doing the same thing again, it's not compensation to anyone for anything.

    CTP pays for the costs of other people you might have hit.

    The way insurance works is that this cost is spread amongst all drivers, otherwise if you did hit someone you might be up for hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars.

    This works both ways because you might under other circumstances be the person who is hit.

    You were still driving for the last three months and therefore still obliged to split the CTP costs amongst all other drivers, even though you didn't actually hit anyone. The backdated charge is just catching your obligation up to where it should have been.

    • elvislj on 20/04/2025 - 20:32

      thanks for the explanation. the CTP is shared with the other drivers? didn't know that.

      • AngoraFish on 20/04/2025 - 20:35
        +2

        That's how insurance works. If your car accident makes someone a paraplegic this might result in a multi-million dollar payout. The way a million dollar payout is paid for is by pooling the $600 premiums of 1700 NSW drivers so that you don't need to find the entire million dollars yourself.

        • elvislj on 20/04/2025 - 20:51

          so if I hit someone in the past 3 months without CTP, my liability will be reduced and paid by?

          BTW i do have a comprehensive car insurance which is due in July, only the CTP is overdue

          • randomusername2017 on 20/04/2025 - 20:59
            +1

            @elvislj:

            someone in the past 3 months without CTP,

            Uninsured..liable for any third party injury claims. Dependant on any Nominal Defendant fund claims.

            Check your pds for comprehensive insurance to see if you were covered in an unregistered vehicle.

          • gromit on 21/04/2025 - 15:29

            @elvislj: If you have an accident while unregistered i think u will find your comprehensive insurance is considered void. Some will take it on a case by case basis and "may" still cover you for small slips but I doubt many (if any) would cover you after 3 months no rego.

  • randomusername2017 on 20/04/2025 - 20:28

    if it's uninsured then I should not have to pay for the uninsured 3 months

    Easy.. just cancel and reregister to start the annual cycle again.

    Maybe set a reminder in the calendar for the new date.

    • elvislj on 20/04/2025 - 21:23

      thanks.

      first time after 20 years driving. just found the setting in Service NSW app to change the reminder from mail to digital. will set a date on calendar too.

  • Ryanek on 20/04/2025 - 21:03
    +8

    Count yourself lucky, imagine if you caused an accident and people were seriously injured.

  • pegaxs on 20/04/2025 - 22:45
    +3

    lol @ no notification. Such a load of bullshit. I get SMS reminders, I get both the green slip AND the rego papers come in separately. I also get multiple emails, before, when it’s due and just after.

    And it’s not pointless/waste of money. You have been driving for the last 3 months, yeah? So you SHOULD have paid because you have been using it, so it’s not like you are paying for nothing if you have been using your vehicle during this time…

    Anyway, don’t “backdate” the rego, just get a blue slip and re-establish the rego and get a full 12 months.

    • elvislj on 21/04/2025 - 00:35

      Man I am talking about the insurance not the rego. I have been using the road not the insurance. If I hit anyone I would not be covered by CTP. But now I have to pay for the insurance that I didn't use.

      Anyway, I will pay for all this. It's really a lot compared to the traffic penalties in other countries such as US and France where I lived before.

      Regarding the reminder, I have stated I found a switch to go digital instead of mail on the service NSW app. You probably already done it somehow that's why you received sms.

      • bobbified on 21/04/2025 - 02:37
        +4

        If I hit anyone I would not be covered by CTP. But now I have to pay for the insurance that I didn't use.

        There's this thing in NSW (and some other states) called the Nominal Defendant. It covers/pays out claims for injuries where the third party cannot be identified or was unregistered/uninsured. In the event of an uninsured driver, the administrator of the claim (one of the CTP insurers) makes the decision whether or not to try to recover the cost of the claim from the responsible driver. Where they don't or can't recover the cost, it comes out of a pool of money that's contributed to by all the CTP insurers. So even though you technically didn't have insurance, the insurers were still at-risk for anyone you may have injured during that period.

        This only applies to CTP insurance because it's legislated - there is no equivalent for Third Party Property or Comprehensive insurance.

        • elvislj on 21/04/2025 - 10:39
          +1

          thanks. this is what I am looking for in my post. nothing else.

      • EFC94 on 21/04/2025 - 08:33
        +3

        Maybe instead of trying to blame others that you forgot to renew you could take some responsibility for your own actions.

  • AustriaBargain on 21/04/2025 - 02:15
    -1

    Dang, the least they could do is give you those three months for free!

  • elgrande on 21/04/2025 - 05:03
    +5

    OP took being an uninsured Ozbargainer to the next level..

  • ihbh on 21/04/2025 - 08:54
    +1

    Pro tips:

    • Put a reminder a month away in your electronic calendar - to have time to book the pink slip, rectify, etc.

    • Make all your insurance due on or near a particular date - that way you might also get a multi-policy discount amongst other things. Or it might be a prompt to negotiate, get insurance elsewhere.

    • nobro25 on 21/04/2025 - 17:44
      +1

      Pretty sure a rich person (non-peasant) will still get a fine if they get caught with an expired rego with no CTP.

  • screensaver on 21/04/2025 - 14:38
    -2

    if you are on Centrelink you can do a WDO

    • randomusername2017 on 21/04/2025 - 15:38

      do a WDO

      Good luck with the treatment đź‘Ť

    • tenpercent on 21/04/2025 - 15:50

      Can you please share the meaning of WDO for those of us who are not "on Centrelink"?

      • MS Paint on 21/04/2025 - 17:25

        I'll try and use it in a sentence/paragraph.

        Most people on Centrelink benefits live paycheck to paycheck.

        Pam, who is receiving Centrelink, lives WDO to WDO. Pam can't afford all of her fines but has plenty of time on her hands. Pam works for free in order to reduce her fines.

        Don't get fines. Don't be like Pam.

        • tenpercent on 21/04/2025 - 17:34

          Always so literal, Miss Paint.

          Thank you though, I now understand the meaning of WDO.

        • Purp on 21/04/2025 - 18:48
          -1

          Oh no, people that don't have jobs can survive on government handouts while the rest of us work for our money and struggle ourselves
          I feel soooo bad for the person that chooses not to get a job and leeches of other hard working taxpayers

  • elvislj on 21/04/2025 - 15:39
    -3

    BTW, it's the easter Monday so I did some research.

    In California the fine for driving unregistered vehicle is $280 and it can be dismissed by paying the rego soon after the police ticket.

    in New Zealand the fine is $200 and there is no compulsory insurance.

    in UK it's 80 pounds.

    In British Columbia it's $108 Canadian

    • randomusername2017 on 21/04/2025 - 15:43
      +3

      Where was your vehicle registered?Âż

    • tenpercent on 21/04/2025 - 15:49
      -1

      You're not in those places though. You're in The Great Southern Convictland.

    • ThadtheChad on 22/04/2025 - 08:35

      In California the fine for driving unregistered vehicle is $280 and it can be dismissed by paying the rego soon after the police ticket.

      Mate, if you're whinging about $1600 in fines that is a result of your own cock-up, you can't afford life in CA (especially right now).

      You definitely wouldn't have been able to afford to pay third party injury should you have hit someone with your unregistered vehicle (as your comprehensive may not have covered you for this liability) - just take the L mate and move on.

      It's a cheap life lesson, not as bad as the morons driving around without third party as a bare minimum (not CTP) and accidentally dinging a relatively new EV/Euro. And then finding out that they're on the hook for 4-5 figures in repairs.

    • rashn on 22/04/2025 - 12:26

      New Zealand has ACC. The legislation behind it means no one can be held responsible for anyone else's injuries. You do, however, pay an 'ACC levy' on your rego that increases the more unsafe your vehicle is and on petrol and if it is a diesel/electric car it is also on top of your RUC. (you also pay an ACC levy on income you earn)

  • Daabido on 21/04/2025 - 16:55

    Put it in your desktop calendar as a recurring item or use one of the reminder websites.

  • 2esc on 21/04/2025 - 18:34

    In the old days a rego sticker on the windscreen worked fine in Victoria.

    I wonder what the per capita rate of forgetting to pay the rego is now?

    What is the total revenue from fines each year?

    I write the expiry date now on the calender on the fridge because Vicroads 2 years in a row they didnt email a bill and sms reminders for some reason were days late.
    Last 2 years i have been received the email bill but now i dont get any reminders even though updated preferences on Vicroads account.

  • sillyhead on 22/04/2025 - 07:32

    As other people have said you can cancel that rego and get new rego from today. You have to pay a plate fee and get a new RWC. Might be better just to pay and move on. I understand your frustration though I would be annoyed if I had to pay it. I guess one solace might be to be thankful you didn't have an accident uninsured.

    I think the fines in the different countries are related to the social vibe of the place. Im America especially they give people plenty of rope to hang themselves. The legal and financial liability of have having a motor accident when unregistered and uninsured cannot be overstated. Your either losing a massive amount of personal wealth or end up declaring bankruptcy.

    I think the fine needs to be this high as the carrot and stick approach is there to protect the uninformed. Otherwise silly people will only look at the fine and think "Why register?"

    I do think the rego sticker was a good thing and should never be scrapped. Gets rid of the accidental forgetfulness scenario.

    • ATTS on 22/04/2025 - 14:23

      Miss the days of the sticker rego!

    • ATTS on 22/04/2025 - 14:26

      Carrot and stick, nice phrase where do you learn these phrases from, is it an idiom btw?

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 22/04/2025 - 13:24

    $1636

    WOW that is a massive fine!

  • Nebargains on 22/04/2025 - 14:48

    The fine is absolutely outrageous and the cost of rego is just going up and up. I remember when I got my first car rego was like $350, its now like $800+? But the fine is just nuts, make an innocent mistake of not realising your rego was about to expire and if you go through a booze bus, bam, huge fine for the crime of…. not renewing your rego? They even took away rego stickers on your car.

    I can say with 100% confidence I have no idea when my rego expires because there is sticker on the windshield that says so, so if I don't get a letter reminding me or I miss it for whatever reason, my car would be unregistered.

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