Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC – California Vehicle Registration
Did you know that you can get a driving ticket specifically relating to the registration of your vehicle? This is what it means when you receive a citation stating that you were guilty of violating Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC. Below, you’ll learn everything you should remember about it, including:
- What Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC is
- What it means to have violated it
- What you can do about the violation
- Other possible Vehicle Code violation connections
- How to avoid being cited with a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC violation
What is Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC?
The best place to start with understanding this violation is by taking a look at the legislation. Formally, this violation is listed as saying “a person shall not drive, move, or leave standing upon a highway, or in an off-street public parking facility, any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer…unless it is registered and the appropriate fees have been paid…”
What this means is that you must make sure that your vehicle and/or trailer is registered and that the fees have been paid before you drive it or park it anywhere. This can apply to both failing to post your registration information, or having an expired registration. In both of these cases, it means that you have no current registration stickers visible for peace officers to see.
What does it mean to have violated Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC?
With this violation, it means that peace officers have no way of knowing that you’ve paid the registration and other fees associated with driving and formally owning a motor vehicle. Okay, so that’s all well and good, perhaps, but what does it mean in real terms? The best way to get a feel for what this violation would look like is to put an imaginary driver, let’s call her Zara, in the situation.
Zara is a California resident who is driving in her car. She’s forgotten to update her registration stickers on her license plates as well as in her vehicle on the DMV-issued registration paperwork. Because she has a tail light burnt out, a peace officer pulls her over to alert her. In approaching her vehicle, they see that she doesn’t have current registration stickers, so they ask to see her registration paperwork.
Since Zara has both expired stickers and paperwork, she’s technically guilty of this violation. Note that this doesn’t apply if she has updated her registration stickers and is waiting on the paperwork, as this will show up in the peace officer’s system and she may be given temporary registration paperwork until the official one arrives for just this reason. In most cases, a peace officer won’t pull Zara over just for the out of date stickers, though they are legally able to do so. They’ll often wait until there is another reason to pull Zara over and then add the registration violation with the other reason for being pulled over.
This violation would also be accurate if the same situation happened if she were towing a trailer or a mini home, etc. Even if her vehicle is registered and has its stickers, anything being towed must as well.
Let’s take a look at it in another way. Zara parks her car in a parking garage for a few hours while she goes shopping with her friends. Even though she isn’t driving it, it still must be registered with up to date stickers because it is on public property. She can receive a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC for this even though she’s not in the vehicle itself.
This violation can apply to and (and all) registration examples, including a missing license plate, missing our outdated stickers, and lack of paperwork that confirms that she’s paid the fee required.
What can I do about the violation?
The technical term for this violation is an “infraction”. This means that the offender has violated an administrative regulation or traffic rule. It’s pretty minor when compared to other traffic violations, though it’s still important to take seriously — as are all violations.
The punishment for a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC violation is a fee of $280 plus any other court fees that are added to the cost of the ticket. This is often nicknamed a “fix-it ticket” because this violation can be waived in the court if the offender fixes it within a certain time frame (aka: updates their registration). They will have to agree in a court of law to do this, with is legally binding, and then show proof that they’ve done it after-the-fact. They will still need to pay the $280 fine and any other feeds the court chooses to add for convenience and resources.
Other possible Vehicle Code violation connections
While a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC violation is relatively straight-forward in how and when it is handed out, there are a few similar violation reasons that can also factor in depending on the situation. These include:
- CVC 4000a: This violation is the same thing as a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC violation, but sometimes the codes are interchanged.
- Vehicle Code 4463 VC: This violation means that Zara has committed fraud and/or forgery in her certificates, strikers, and license plate registration information. DMV documentation is not allowed to be modified.
- Vehicle Code 2058 VC: This particular offense means that Zara has failed to show up on her court date. Willingly, she doesn’t show up on her promised date and time.
- Vehicle Code 16028 VC: This violation implies that Zara has to have evidence of financial responsibility relating to her vehicle and also have the evidence up to date and ready to show a peace officer when asked specifically.
In some cases, these can be added to the offender, or they can be used in place of a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC violation, depending on what is thought to be most accurate for the situation at hand. This is often left to the court and/or the peace officer to determine.
Is this ticket eligible for traffic school?
No, this ticket is not eligible for traffic school. Typically, any moving violation means that a driver can attend an accredited driving school, such as MM TRAFFIC SCHOOL, to have the ticket masked on their record, but a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC is an exception.
The exception is due to the fact that this ticket is most often dismissed in court by simply paying the fee and updating the registration at the DMV. Because it is an infraction and a “clerical” violation, there would be no benefit to attending traffic school to learn from the violation. Which, of course, is what traffic school is all about! If you have any questions or concerns, however, you can certainly reach out and contact us and we’ll be happy to help you out. You can also reach out to the court that issued your violation, too, as they’ll be more familiar with your case.
How can I avoid a citation for a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC violation?
Like a lot of the minor violations, this particular kind of violation is relatively easy to avoid, which is excellent news. Most of it is going to come down to organization and accepting the responsibility that you have when you are driving a vehicle.
Registration stickers will expire on a certain date. At least 4 weeks before, you’ll want to have the reminder marked on your calendar so that you can remember to head to the DMV and get your registration updated and pay the fees associated. This gives you plenty of time to receive the new stickers and the formal paperwork. Do this with all of your vehicles and trailers, etc even if they’re all different dates!
Another thing to keep in mind is the need to always have the proper registration paperwork in your vehicle, along with your proof of insurance. The paperwork should come with the stickers, or it may even be handed to you at the DMV itself. Make sure you have the correct and up-to-date paperwork in your vehicle and note it on the calendar if you have to! Keep in mind: receiving a Vehicle Code 4000a1 VC means that you don’t have proof of your registration with the state of California. Since this is integral to being a responsible driver, it will be an easy violation to avoid!
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