The General Assembly went overboard in instituting such a high fee. A responsible fix is needed.
The fee was first recommended by a task force that was asked to find new ways to fund the Ohio State Patrol, which had relied primarily on gas tax revenue. The task force suggested several new auto-related fees and fee hikes.
The initial proposal was for a $10 late fee for licenses, but lawmakers — facing a huge budget hole — doubled it to $20 with the goal of raising $19 million a year for the state patrol.
They also exceeded the task force recommendations for fees on other services, but the license and registration late fees have surprised drivers the most. It has raised $6.4 million — more than was even anticipated.
The bureau notes that it now sends 90-day warnings to drivers that their license renewal is almost due, and it permits them to complete the process easily over the Internet, and it allows a whole week grace period before instituting the fee.
Remember, also, that a driver who is even one day past expiration can be cited by police and stuck with a much higher fine — for not having a valid licence.
Still, $20 is close to the $25.75 cost of just renewing a driver’s license. Also, there is a bit of a quirk that makes the new rule feel even more unfair.
Many Ohioans mistakenly believe their licenses do not expire until the end of their birthday month. This has never been true. The law requires renewal no later than your birth date.
Still, many Ohioans routinely complete their renewals at the end of the month and are used to doing so without penalty.
A fee that nearly doubles the cost of renewal is too much.
Republicans are rallying around a bill that would eliminate the fee, with no plan for replacing the lost revenue. That’s a bad idea. Democrats are working on their own bill that also would eliminate the fee, but replace the lost dollars with new revenue, though they haven’t specified yet where the money will come from.
Following the task force recommendation of a $10 late fee would make sense. And whatever the final plan, it must include a way to replace the lost revenue, so the state patrol budget isn’t upended.
Cox News Service