Have you ever been pulled over without valid registration on your vehicle? Is your registration up to date? I was caught on Highway 2 last weekend with expired registration on my car. Here's what happened.
We had just wrapped up at the Home and Garden Show in Lethbridge and I was headed back to Edmonton with all of my marketing materials in the back of my SUV. I was just on the North side of Leduc when I saw the lights in my rear view mirror. I pulled into the right lane and was surprised to find that he followed. This was when I realized that I was being pulled over. Pulling my car well off the right side of the road, I stopped and opened my window.
"Do you know how expired your registration is?" he asked.
Immediately memories of October, my renewal month, came back to me and I searched my thoughts, hoping that I would remember walking next door to the registry office to renew my vehicle. Nothing came to me. I handed him my license and registration and mentioned how embarrassed I was, considering that I work at Armour Insurance and Registries, and that I was the person who sends reminders out to our customers about their renewal dates.
My Options
After confirming that my registration was indeed expired by 6 months, we both had a bit of a laugh about it. He told me I had two choices.
- He can tow my car.
- He can give me a ticket.
I'm not sure if everyone would get this choice, but I was happy to be given the option to not to have my car towed into Leduc. He did instruct me that it is not legal to drive without valid registration and to get my vehicle registered immediately. The ticket was for $310.00 and he gave me 4 months to pay it.
"Did unlawfully contravene Section 53(1)(c) of the Traffic Safety Act - Drive or park a motor vehicle with expired license plate."
"You know what tipped me off?" he asked "Your license plate isn't attached correctly. It was flapping all over the place and it drew my eye." He told me to be safe pulling back onto the highway and I was on my way.
The next day, I tightened my license plate, and when I got to work I walked into the Armour Registry Office and told them what had happened. Before I knew it I had my new registration and was ready to go. If only I had remembered to get renew on time! If you'd like a reminder for when your registration is due, click here.
