One state tacks on hidden traffic fees making speeding tickets 4x…

One state tacks on hidden traffic fees making speeding tickets 4x…

In California, your speeding ticket might not be totally what it appears.

Californians are paying increased costs than their counterparts round the nation, and now teams are urging the state to rethink its practices. Some residents clarify they’ll’t afford basic tickets after they make traffic errors.

Kris Kahrs is one, and she or he acquired a ticket after driving by means of an intersection in April 2025. She was caught on the crimson light digicam driving by means of the intersection because she thought she might make it by means of the yellow light.

When her ticket got here in the mail, it was 4 occasions the quotation worth. It had a bail quantity of $486, despite the fact the quotation itself was just $100.

Why are California traffic tickets more costly?

California’s traffic fines are the highest in the nation, according to the Fines and Fees Justice Center.

The value of fines in California is ready by the state legislature and Judicial Council. But state and county governments have the authority so as to add surcharges and fees to those fines.

The state receives about 50% of traffic nice income, while the county sees 40%. Cities and other assortment applications obtain about 10% of traffic violation income.

CBS News discovered that those additional fees are meant so as to add to the state’s income, however the plan might not be working. California still faces a multi-billion-dollar deficit, and income continues to lower every yr.

How lengthy has California been upping the worth of traffic tickets?

California’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee accomplished a state audit almost 10 years in the past. It discovered “seemingly arbitrary” fees that have been “not directly connected to the offense” or clearly “based on program needs,” per CBS News.

At the time, the auditor urged the state to reconsider the fee structure entirely. A decade later, and the fees are still in place.

Because of the high price of the tickets, many times they just go unpaid, says Brandon Greene of the Western Center on Law and Poverty. He added that the people most impacted are often low-income drivers.

In response to CBS News’ questioning Gov. Gavin Newsom about the fees, a spokesperson from the California State Transportation Agency said in a statement:

“The state believes traffic-related fees must be acceptable, clear, and encourage secure and accountable driving. Every Californian deserves secure roads and a good system of accountability,” said Kimberly Erickson, with the CSTA.

“We continue to work with the legislature, courts, and local companions to make sure penalties advance public security while sustaining inexpensive entry to transportation for all Californians.”

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