Prius Drivers Being Pulled Over Across Treasure Valley

It's your worst nightmare.  You're already running late on your way into the office when you look up and see police headlights in your rear view mirror.

So you start running through the mental checklist.  Was I going too far over the speed limit? No. Did I change lanes without signaling? No. Roll a stop sign? No, I did not.  Why is this officer pulling me over?!

Well, the one question you forgot to ask yourself was "am I driving a Prius?" If the answer to that question is a resounding "yes," then chances are you're being pulled over for expired registration tags when may have not even noticed that you were due for renewal.

According to the Idaho Statesman, a law that changed in 2017 resulted in the Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles not sending out snail-mail renewal notices to thousands of hybrid car drivers. When you're trying to balance a career, kids and an otherwise full schedule, you may depend on those notices to remember to renew your tags.  I know I do, but if you use the "I didn't get a card in the mail" excuse with the officer who pulled you over, it won't get you anywhere.

The Idaho DMV sends those notices as a courtesy, but is no way legally required to inform you when to renew your registration/plates. That's on you.

So what if you discover that your tags are expired but you don't have time to run to the DMV today? You can always always renew your tags online by clicking HERE. Since you didn't get a renewal notice in the mail, just click "no letter or postcard." You'll be prompted to enter your license and plate numbers and then be whisked off to finish the renewal process.

You'll get a receipt you'll be able to print and stash in your glove box in case you get pulled over before your new tags arrive in the mail. Isn't it easier to do that than pay a $67 ticket on top of your registration fees?