How California quietly adds hundreds in hidden fees to drive up traffic tickets

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Getting a postulation summons is simply a unspeakable feeling that is made adjacent worse erstwhile you find retired however overmuch it's going to outgo you.

What you whitethorn not recognize is that buried successful the dollar magnitude you're told to wage is simply a agelong database of hidden fees, immoderate that person thing to bash with traffic. CBS News California Investigates looked astatine what you're paying for and why.

A reddish airy camera recorded Kris Kahrs arsenic she drove done an intersection successful April 2025.

"As I was pulling, approaching this light, which was starting to crook yellow, determination was nary accidental to halt astatine that point," she said.

The citation came successful the message soon aft with a bail magnitude of $486, Kahrs noted. But present is the catch: Her citation was conscionable $100.

So wherefore did she person to wage much than 4 times that? That is owed to hidden fees, which are technically amerciable nether California law, unless you're a authorities agency.

It turns retired lawmakers person been tacking connected astir a twelve antithetic hidden fees to postulation tickets implicit the years. Some of those fees, similar the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, person perfectly thing to bash with postulation violations.

"It feels similar they're trying to fell something," Kahrs said.

California lawmakers person been softly utilizing postulation violations arsenic a gross generator for the state, oregon astatine slightest they've been trying. But arsenic the authorities faces a multi-billion-dollar deficit, authorities information uncover gross has been decreasing twelvemonth aft year.

Nearly a decennary ago, California's Joint Legislative Audit Committee commissioned a authorities audit, which was paid for by your taxation dollars. The auditor recovered the "seemingly arbitrary" fees and fines "not straight connected to the offense" oregon intelligibly "based connected programme needs."

The auditor urged lawmakers to "reconsider the full punishment and interest structure."

Eight years later, the auditor said helium is inactive waiting for lawmakers to instrumentality action.

"It's not precise effectual due to the fact that it's inefficient. People can't wage what they don't have.

Brandon Greene with the Western Center connected Law and Poverty points to the auditor uncovering that "traffic fines person gone unpaid partially due to the fact that they are a important fiscal burden," a disproportionate fiscal load for low‑income drivers.

"We person to beryllium honorable astir who is being impacted," Greene said.

He said helium believes lawmakers would alternatively proceed struggling to cod than hazard upsetting almighty involvement groups oregon vocal voters by imposing caller taxes.

"The radical we're talking astir are not the radical who tin nonstop an email oregon telephone a legislative office," Greene said.

So for now, contempt a decade's worthy of information showing declining gross and wide recommendations from an audit you paid for, Kahrs says "people are struggling."

It appears lawmakers volition proceed to bash the aforesaid happening and anticipation for a antithetic result.

"I don't deliberation that's fair, and I don't deliberation that it'll enactment for america anymore," Kahrs said.

I asked Gov. Gavin Newsom whether helium has immoderate plans to code these hidden fees. His squad didn't reply that question directly, but a spokesperson from the California State Transportation Agency released the pursuing statement.

"The authorities believes traffic-related fees should beryllium appropriate, transparent, and promote harmless and liable driving. Every Californian deserves harmless roads and a just strategy of accountability," said Kimberly Erickson, with the CSTA. "We proceed to enactment with the legislature, courts, and section partners to guarantee penalties beforehand nationalist information portion maintaining affordable entree to proscription for each Californians."