Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 1371 discusses the operation of a motor vehicle following the suspension of its registration. Here it states that no person shall operate and no owner shall permit to be operated upon any highway a vehicle the registration of which has been suspended.
Subsection (b) of 1307 notes that any person violating this section is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500. In the case of a motor carrier vehicle other than a trailer, the fine shall be double the registration fee for the maximum weight at which the vehicle could have been registered in this Commonwealth.
There are also penalties if you fail to turn in your suspended license plates to the state of Pennsylvania. Section 1376 of the PA Vehicle Code states that the department, upon suspending or revoking any registration, shall require the registration plate or plates and registration card or cards to be surrendered immediately to PennDOT.
If after 30 days from the mail date of a notice of suspension or revocation, the registration plates and cards are not surrendered the department may delegate authority to the following persons to seize a registration plate and registration card which are required to be surrendered:
- A designated department employee.
- Members of the Pennsylvania State Police.
- Local police officers.
- Sheriffs or deputy sheriffs.
- Constables or deputy constables. If constables and deputy constables are delegated authority to seize registration plates and registration cards under this section, they shall be compensated by the department at the rate of $15 for each registration plate and card jointly seized, plus mileage. The department shall pay a constable or deputy constable within 30 days after a documented request for payment is submitted to it.
Any person failing or refusing to surrender to the department or its authorized delegate, upon demand, any registration plate or card which has been suspended or revoked is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $300, plus costs. Costs shall include a reasonable fee for official seizure of the un-surrendered items.
If you have been cited for driving with suspended registration you should contact the court to find out more about your penalties. The PA Driver and Vehicle Services may also be able to provide you information on the penalties and how to reinstate your registration.
When you clear up any registration suspension issues you may have in PA you can come to use for an auto insurance quote.