What Are Surcharges and When do They Arise?
What are Surcharges and Do They Affect Me?
Surcharges are monetary penalties assessed by the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) on a yearly basis for drivers who have been issued excessive points or committed a specific violation such as DWI. Surcharges are in addition to any court fines and penalties and are assessed by the MVC.
Why do I get surcharges?
Your motor vehicle history is checked by MVC every time points are assesed to it. If you acquire six (6) or more points within three years from your last posted violation, you will receive a $150 surcharge plus $25 for each additional point. The following is a list of surcharges that apply to specific convictions for offenses. They are...
$100 per year-driving without a license
$250 per year-driving with a suspended license
$100 per year-failure to insure a moped
$250 per year-operating an uninsured vehicle
$1,000 per year-DUI, for 3 years
$1,000 per year-Refusal to take breathalyzer test, for 3 years
If you fail to pay your surcharges, MVC will suspend your driving privileges indefinitely and take action in the State Superior Court. This can result in a police officer stopping you and charging you with driving while suspended; if you are caught operating a motor vehicle. Which in turn can lead to additional fines, suspension and surcharges. It is required by law that if you change your address, you must notify MVC of your address change. As a practical point, this should be done any way so that if you are scheduled to be suspended, MVC will know where to serve you with written notice. This will permit you to become current with your surcharges, prior to being suspended.
