Do traffic violations need to be handled if the car is no longer wanted?
3 Answers
Traffic violations need to be handled even if the car is no longer wanted, otherwise it cannot be sold or transferred. Even if not sold, the vehicle cannot be deregistered without handling the violations. Here are common places where violations are likely to occur: 1. Urban roads: The most common violations in urban areas are running red lights and illegal parking. When driving in the city, avoid following buses, minivans, or trucks. Driving behind these vehicles is unsafe and obstructs visibility. It's easy to miss traffic lights when behind taller vehicles, which can lead to accidentally running a red light. Running a red light results in a 200 yuan fine and 6 penalty points. Always wear a seatbelt while driving, and avoid making phone calls, smoking, littering, speeding, drunk driving, and failing to yield to pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles. 2. Highways: On highways, the most common violation is speeding.
I've dealt with similar situations before. Even if you don't want your car anymore, the traffic violations still need to be cleared. Legally, traffic violation records are tied to the vehicle owner, regardless of whether you keep the car or not. When transferring ownership, the transfer procedure requires all outstanding traffic tickets to be settled first, otherwise the transaction could be blocked, and the buyer might back out. For scrapped vehicles, deregistration also requires proof of violation clearance, or you may face late fees or be unable to proceed. I've seen cases where someone forgot to handle a red-light violation before transferring their car, and the new owner couldn't complete the transfer, leading to compensation claims—costing money and causing disputes. More seriously, unresolved violations can affect your driver's license points and credit score, causing issues when renewing your license or applying for loans in the future. I recommend checking for any outstanding tickets at the DMV or online platforms and paying them off early for peace of mind and safety. In short, giving up the car doesn't mean giving up responsibility.
As a new driver, I researched this before changing cars. If you don't handle traffic violations, even abandoning the car won't help - the tickets still remain under your name and must be personally resolved. When transferring ownership, the new owner's registration process will check violation records, potentially causing the deal to fall through if blocked. For scrapping or deregistration, you must first clear all outstanding tickets, otherwise delayed handling leads to skyrocketing late fees. I've read online cases where people transferred cars without settling tickets, only to receive court debt collection notices later - super annoying. It also affects personal credit scores, restricting other life matters with low ratings. For example, my neighbor forgot to pay speeding fines after abandoning his car and got denied during license renewal. It's best to spend some time contacting traffic police to clear all records and avoid future troubles.
