Just recently I got a traffic ticket from the police in Hsinchu because I went left when you’re not supposed too. Anyways, when I went to the traffic violation counter to pay my fine they told me that my international driver’s licence is not valid because I didn’t get it stamped, therefore the fine will be $NT6000. I just told them for now that I have no money to get some information on what I can do in this situation. I’ve read in another thread that you can get your fine reduced or the payment time extended. Please let me know where I can get this done, since the people at the counter were very unfriendly and couldn’t give me any other information besides repeating 20 times how much I had to pay.
You CAN contest your traffic violation if you think it was unfairly issued. You CANNOT contest the NT$6,000 fine for not having a valid license (unless of course you actually have a valid license – an unstamped international license is not a valid license here in sunny Taiwan). Sorry.
Actually, that makes a good reason to get a license – knowing that every ticket will cost you 6 grand, minimum.
Hmm, well I’m not gonna get a license for the three months left for me in Taiwan. I can just use my bicycle, which I originally owned, but then later I invested into a scooter because of the heat in the summertime. Do you know, if I don’t want to continue using the scooter, can I just not pay the fine? The scooter is not registered under my name, but they have my ARC number. If I have to pay I can just use the money from selling the scooter.
Um, how did they give you a ticket if you didn’t have a licence?
They just used my ARC instead. The only question I have, if I don’t want to use a scooter anymore, then do I have to pay the fine? Will I have trouble later on? I’m not the kind of person to just leave without paying for bills because I know it hurts the foreigner coming after me. But I even rented a car last week and for them the international driver’s licence was fine even though they knew I was a resident. I also asked many other people who said an international licence is fine and then I also know a lot of people that got caught even without a licence and the cops didn’t care. So I think I’m just getting screwed for being polite instead of playing dumb and talking in some weired language when the cops stopped me.
They’re wrong, unless its been endorsed by the Taiwan DMV.
They’re wrong, unless its been endorsed by the Taiwan DMV.
Of course. This is Taiwan.
Quite possibly. But its hardly an excuse that’s going to cut much ice with the authorities.
I don’t how the communication system works between the various authorities here, but I have heard about people being stopped at immigration because of unpaid fines. I don’t actually know anyone who’s been in this position, so it could easily be an urban myth.
Plus, if you try to sell the scooter, the DMV won’t transfer the registration to the new owner until all outstanding fines have been paid.
Oops, just noticed that you said the scooter isn’t registered in your name. In which case, you got off lightly. They could have taken it away from you altogether.
[quote=“sandman”]You CAN contest your traffic violation if you think it was unfairly issued. You CANNOT contest the NT$6,000 fine for not having a valid license (unless of course you actually have a valid license – an unstamped international license is not a valid license here in sunny Taiwan). Sorry.
Actually, that makes a good reason to get a license – knowing that every ticket will cost you 6 grand, minimum.[/quote]
Not every ticket. If you get caught by camera, and the ticket mailed to you, they never know anything about your license, or it’s status. While I’ve seen people get pulled over, no one I know has ever been pulled over and issued a ticket. It always comes in the mail. It’s easier and less fuss for the police to stand on the street corner with a camera then to have to pull people over.
Aren’t international licenses good for 2 weeks from your date of first arrival without being stamped?
When you were pulled over, didn’t the police officer say anything about your unstamped license? I assume you got pulled over, because if it was a photo ticket, you pay the fine, and you are done. They never see your license.
And, bottom line, get your international license validated and stamped at the DMV. It takes all of like 5 minutes. That’s one of the first things I do every year when I come back with my renewed international license, and I’ve never had any problems with it. The only time I’ve had to show it was when my car got towed for illegal parking (those tow truck drivers are FAST! :shock:), and I had to show it to get my car back.
30 days after your arrival into Taiwan. (Not only first arrival, though - any arrival.) So if you’re a bidnessman that drives here for a few weeks four or five times a year, you’re ok on an international driver’s license. Any more than 30 days and you are supposed to get a Taiwan driver’s license.
Not true (in Taipei at any rate).
You get fines sent in the mail for the camera stuff, but if a cop pulls you over, and actually decides to issue you a ticket (about a 10% chance in my experience, maybe less), he actually hands you the ticket. I don’t remember whether or not another copy comes later in the mail.
As for the original poster, an important question is ‘who’s bike are you riding’ - ie who’s name is it registered under.
Brian
Not true (in Taipei at any rate).
You get fines sent in the mail for the camera stuff, but if a cop pulls you over, and actually decides to issue you a ticket (about a 10% chance in my experience, maybe less), he actually hands you the ticket. I don’t remember whether or not another copy comes later in the mail.
As for the original poster, an important question is ‘who’s bike are you riding’ - ie who’s name is it registered under.
Brian[/quote]
Right. I should have worded it clearer. While I have seen people getting pulled over and issued tickets, and you hear about it all the time, it’s has never actually happened to anyone that I know. More often than not, it seems, the cop doesn’t want to go through the trouble of pulling you over and giving you a ticket, so he stands on the street corner, or by the side of the road, armed with a point and shoot camera. I see that all the time.