Surcharge notification from dps

[Ol Thumper]

Wow I had no idea. I thought you got a ticket and paid it and that was it. The state now wants to charge you more over several years?? Is that even legal? Sounds like an African Scam to me Dang Crooks!!!

[flyby]

I guess the days of giving your license number to the LEO are gone if you cant produce the license itself?

Guess I will make sure I have my license even when I am just running right down the road

I'll address a few of these from the perspective of LEO.

Most people don't know their DL number. Even if you do, many who don't have DL's memorize their brother/sister/friends info and provide it when stopped. Then brother/sister/friend end up getting a ticket that goes to warrant because they don't know about it. Then two years later when they get arrested and contest it, I can't identify the person in court (too much time or false info from person stopped). Since the person didn't provide a DL when stopped I don't have a picture to look at to make sure the license matches the person behind the wheel. As a result of this happening on more than one occasion I don't write tickets to people I can't positively identify (read this as "trip to jail").

You are REQUIRED to carry your driver's license when driving. If you don't it is at your own risk.

[flyby]

My wife got a ticket a couple of years ago from Dallas PD for failer to present proof of ins. The rookie female leo was writing her a citation as she was looking for her certificate , she found it , showed it to the leo and was told she took too long to present it and the ticket was already written and that she was not going to void it. She is still paying th surcharge and was told she could not fight it cause she plead no contest and payed the fine for failure to present proof of ins. Dallas PD is very corrupt.

Kind of understand both perspectives. Required to provide proof of insurance on demand. Can't tell you how many times I've stood beside a car in traffic for 15 minutes with traffic flying by while driver searched stacks of paperwork in glove compartment, purse, briefcase, and trunk trying to find one that wasn't 3 years old. Wife should have been a little more knowledgeable when going to court. A no contest plea is the same as guilty without admitting guilt. So she "admitted" to the court she had no insurance at the time of the stop. That doesn't make DPD corrupt.

[flyby]

Uhhhhhhh
Boy have I been lucky! I was told that the cops knew if you had insurance or not when they run your plate now. Some system that was started 4 or 5 years ago.

I normally keep the up to date ins card in my truck, but sometimes it may be a month or so gap that the new one is sitting on the counter at home. I never gave it much thought because if the cop already knows.... why bother?
Guess I better get on the ball and make sure the card in my truck is current!

Also, I thought the "points" fines only applied to speeding tickets?

Assuming the computer system is up and running- and all info is updated on time (by insurance companies and DPS), we can usually verify. Believe it or not, the insurance companies don't always input the info on time, and neither does DPS. None of this invalidates the law that requires you to carry proof.

[flyby]

The DPS will know if you have insurance on said vehicle just by running it. Although they ask for proof, its not really necessary for them because dispatch will know . Its all on record now and the insurance companies have to report you if you fail to pay .

See above post.

[flyby]

What a crock of ****!! This is another reason ALL LEO's need to get the "write the ticket and let the courts settle it" attitude out of their heads. There is no excuse for any LEO to have this attitude. It's getting to where no matter if you do anything wrong or not, if you have contact with LEO you're going to pay. As I said, what a crock of ****!!

OR...people could obey the law and carry their DL and insurance with them. I don't know what your job is, but people lie to me on a daily basis when I am at work. Many are very good at it. I shouldn't have to spend an hour trying to verify the info they are providing in order to NOT write a ticket when they are in violation of the law.

If you don't have your DL or insurance and you are driving....you ARE doing something wrong.

[systemnt]

OR...people could obey the law and carry their DL and insurance with them. I don't know what your job is, but people lie to me on a daily basis when I am at work. Many are very good at it. I shouldn't have to spend an hour trying to verify the info they are providing in order to NOT write a ticket when they are in violation of the law.

If you don't have your DL or insurance and you are driving....you ARE doing something wrong.

No one is debating getting a ticket for an offense... getting two fines for the same offense is... well a scam.

[Ol Thumper]

No one is debating getting a ticket for an offense... getting two fines for the same offense is... well a scam.

Amen!

[cehorn]

Required to provide proof of insurance on demand. Can't tell you how many times I've stood beside a car in traffic for 15 minutes with traffic flying by while driver searched stacks of paperwork in glove compartment, purse, briefcase, and trunk trying to find one that wasn't 3 years old.

So if this is/was the case, a ticket was written not because the law was broken but because the LEO was impatient/had better things to do/the driver wasn't as organized as the LEO thought they should be? Sorry, I can't stand behind that reasoning. Especially when talking about the BS like the original post citizens have to go through. You would be getting paid the whole 15 minutes you wait correct?

No one is debating getting a ticket for an offense... getting two fines for the same offense is... well a scam.

Yep. My post about letting the courts settle it isn't just about this subject, it's about an attitude that some (not all and more than likely nobody here) LEO's have. With the BS being talked about in this thread, the LEO (whose job is to serve and protect) needs to be **** sure the ticket is warranted. If it is warranted and can't be avoided then by all means write the ticket. The ticket for not providing insurance fast enough is a case like I'm referring to. That officer should face a penalty for wasting the driver and court's time. If the driver has to pay a surcharge for doing nothing wrong (besides not being organized) then the LEO should get to pay the same surcharge for writing a ticket not based on a broken law but based on being impatient.

[Dale Moser]

No one is debating getting a ticket for an offense... getting two fines for the same offense is... well a scam.

Getting 3 over 3 years is nothing short of criminal.

I had a truck driver working last Saturday to make up for lost time earlier in the week. DPS had him pulled over for an hour and a half to write 1 warning. I try to give all LEOs the benefit of the doubt, but I can't remember the last time I had any experience with DPS that wasn't a cluster____. It's like they go out of their way to be obnoxious and screw up paperwork.

[flyby]

Don't get me wrong guys- I think the surcharges are WAY overboard. I do not have a problem with the DWI surcharges......can go either way on insurance surcharges......beyond that I think the state is using them as revenue producers. Regardless of what I think, if you abide by the law you don't have to worry about them.......that means always carrying a valid DL and insurance with you, not getting too many points on your license, and don't get stopped intoxicated.

I try to do as much as I can to AVOID writing tickets when someone doesn't have their DL or insurance- but again- I won't spend 30 minutes to an hour trying to verify your info- I won't follow you home so you can get it- and I won't take your word for it. Too many other things to be doing, and too much experience in the job.

[Daniel75]

No one is debating getting a ticket for an offense... getting two fines for the same offense is... well a scam.

That's with DPS, not the LEO. At some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions. Are you required to drive the speed limit? Yes. Are you required to have proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times? Yes. Are you required to have your license on your person if you're driving a vehicle? Yes. Don't get mad at anyone except yourself if you get a ticket for any of these offenses.

The surcharges are a scam, absolutely. Take it up with the DPS, not the LEO that's stroking you that ticket because you broke the law.

[Thumper]

I'll address a few of these from the perspective of LEO.

Most people don't know their DL number. Even if you do, many who don't have DL's memorize their brother/sister/friends info and provide it when stopped. Then brother/sister/friend end up getting a ticket that goes to warrant because they don't know about it. Then two years later when they get arrested and contest it, I can't identify the person in court (too much time or false info from person stopped). Since the person didn't provide a DL when stopped I don't have a picture to look at to make sure the license matches the person behind the wheel. As a result of this happening on more than one occasion I don't write tickets to people I can't positively identify (read this as "trip to jail").

You are REQUIRED to carry your driver's license when driving. If you don't it is at your own risk.

So your jail is over flowing with illegals driving without a TDL and insurance, right. ?????????.

[systemnt]

That's with DPS, not the LEO. At some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions. Are you required to drive the speed limit? Yes. Are you required to have proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times? Yes. Are you required to have your license on your person if you're driving a vehicle? Yes. Don't get mad at anyone except yourself if you get a ticket for any of these offenses.

The surcharges are a scam, absolutely. Take it up with the DPS, not the LEO that's stroking you that ticket because you broke the law.

what are you talking about?
Read the topic of the thread. The thread is about the Surcharges.
Who said anything about going after LEO's?

[systemnt]

So your jail is over flowing with illegals driving without a TDL and insurance, right. ?????????.

Not likely.