Many Texans in the hundreds of thousands who have penalties on their driving records are now being offered a bit of relief, as the state is providing them a one-time amnesty on surcharges that they would otherwise have to pay. Those who qualify would stand to save upwards of thousands of dollars.
Those who have had their driver’s licenses suspended for failing to pay these surcharges, which are imposed by the Driver Responsibility Program, are being strongly urged to take advantage of this opportunity. The DRP was passed by the state legislature back in 2003 and is responsible for assessing fees for various driver-related offenses. This is the same program that also directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to begin administering this special program. All revenue that is generated by the DRP goes to a variety of sources, including emergency medical services, the general revenue fund, and trauma centers.
The TDPS will also offer lower payments to those individuals who have had their licenses suspended and who are also currently in default on their surcharges.
Individuals who qualify for this program will only be required to pay 10% of the original amount that they owe for all combined surcharges, with the maximum amount being only $250. Service fees will also still apply. Payments that have already been made will be applied to the reduced amount, and if there are any prior payments that are more than the amount that is due, then no payment will be required to be made. Furthermore, prior payments that are more than the reduced amount that is due won’t be refunded.
The special amnesty reduction will not apply to other fees that may be owed to the TDPS. All that will be forgiven is the surcharge.
In order to be eligible for the amnesty program, individuals must have had a surcharge assessed between September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2008. They must also have been delinquent on those payments as well, and the surcharges that meet this criteria must also be in default. If you are still making payments on surcharges assessed after 2008, you are still responsible for them and will not qualify for the amnesty program.
Once the application has been approved, surcharge suspensions will be cleared off of the applicant’s driving record within three business days. They will then be provided with the amount that they will be required to pay, and after three business days, they can begin making payments.