DC DMV car registration question

[Anonymous]

Can someone help me with my faulty memory? I remember trying to re-register my car during Covid. I also remember something about how you didn’t have to display your tag on your windshield and could have the registration on your phone (I was able to out the registration tag in my iPhone wallet). I kind of forgot about it. Well, I got a $100 ticket today for “not displaying my registration.” Does anyone have a the text of an email or notice saying this was the Covid policy. I’m hoping to plead for leniency because I never received my updated tag and just assumed that since they gave me the option to use my app/ phone that I shouldn’t be penalized if I never received the actual sticker in the mail.

Thanks for any help you might do to help - this feels unfair that they said I could use an electronic version and never sent me the sticker.

[Anonymous]

I did not believe that was the policy. There was an extension for expired registrations when the DMV was closed. But when the DMV reopened in 2021 you needed to have the proper registration sticker or the printed copy in your dashboard until the sticker arrived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not believe that was the policy. There was an extension for expired registrations when the DMV was closed. But when the DMV reopened in 2021 you needed to have the proper registration sticker or the printed copy in your dashboard until the sticker arrived.

This. And they also gave a decent grace period on enforcement after the DMV reopened because of how hard it was to get appointments initially.

When they are enforcing expired tags (which is most of the time, just not during the Covid emergency due to the DMV closure), you are ALWAYS required to display your tags in your window. Most tag enforcement in DC is done by the parking agency, so the idea that you could keep your registration on your phone is nonsensical -- a parking enforcement officer needs to be able to look at your car and read the registration. What are they going to do, hang out until you visit your car and ask you to show them your registration?

I know it sucks but you are just going to have to pay it. My DH once got hit with one of those because the registration sticker on his vehicle was peeling and the section with the expiration date was no longer visible through the window. There was no leniency, even though his registration was current AND in his car, just not perfectly visible.

Just pay it. Next time stay on top of it and put a reminder in your phone or calendar to check your registration and make sure it's current a couple times a year. You messed up.

[Anonymous]

If you have it in your Apple Wallet you can print it out and put on your dash. The wallet copy is only for your personal convenience for things like sending to your insurance.

[Anonymous]

Well, thanks, all. I definitely screwed up. I still don’t know why they need it in the dashboard for parking. Presumably when the parking person types in my license plate, they can see my registration is current. But oh, well, lesson learned.

Thanks for the help!