Vehicle registration in Bell County will now include check for outstanding citations, fines – KWTX
BELTON, Texas (KWTX) – Starting next week, registering your new vehicle or renewing your vehicle registration will include a review to find any outstanding tickets and fines owed by the car owner.
On Wednesday, October 12, Bell County announced its new Scofflaw Program will go into effect on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
Once it goes live, the new program will block any individual with an unpaid fine to the county from registering their vehicle.
The county said the program works by sharing information between the county and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles database and flagging the vehicle identification number (VIN) or license plate number of vehicles associated with outstanding citations.
“Our goal is to collect the fines and fees that people owe,” County Judge David Blackburn said. “It’s really that simple, and the scofflaw program has a successful track record in counties around the State.”
When a driver with an unpaid ticket goes to renew or register a vehicle in a Bell County Vehicle Registration, they will be informed that there is a block.
In order to remove the block, the car owners will have to pay the fine, either in the court from which the citation was issued or online.
“Our staff will work with drivers whenever possible,” Tax Assessor-Collector Shay Luedeke said. “If they are able to pay online using their phone right there, we will take a look at the digital receipt and proceed with the registration.”
Luedeke encourages anyone planning to register a vehicle to check for any blocks before visiting a Vehicle Registration office.
You can do so at at the county website, where you can also pay any outstanding fines in advance.
“Our hope is that, by visiting the website before they come in, they can avoid any embarrassment or inconvenience,” said Luedeke.
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