NEWS

Hinds County to crack down on illegal license plates

Jimmie E. Gates
Clarion Ledger

Hinds County has hired an additional tag investigator to catch residents operating with illegal auto tags, including those with tags from another county or out-of-state.

Hinds County Tax Collector Eddie Fair already had one tag investigator and asked the Board of Supervisors to approve the hiring of two more. The board approved the hiring of one additional investigator. The county also is providing a used vehicle for the new tag investigator.

"Each tag investigator could bring in $250,000 a year easily," Fair said. "Each and every day we see them (residents with illegal tags)."

District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham said the tag investigators are a value to the county because they will bring extra tax dollars.

ALSO READ: GRAHAM TO RUN FOR MAYOR

Recently, Graham said he drove through an apartment complex lot in northeast Jackson and observed 30 to 40 vehicles with license plates from other counties or states. "I think it is a bigger problem than we realized," Graham said. "Tag investigators will allow us to minimize this problem."

Other supervisors, including District 4 Supervisor Mike Morgan, said he rode with the one tag investigator and observed firsthand some people operating with illegal tags.

"We do have a problem in Hinds County," Morgan said.

Fair said if it can be proven that a person has been living in Hinds County with an improper tag, the owner of the vehicle will be charged back interest as well as be required to purchase a tag in the county. He said one person ended up with a $17,000 bill for an auto tag with back interest included. He said there are some who have had to pay $2,000 to get a tag with the back interest included.

ALSO READ: MISSISSIPPI BURNING JUDGES DIES

Fair's office said a vehicle must be registered within seven days of the date of the purchase. If the vehicle was purchased in another county, the vehicle owner has nine working days from the date of purchase to register the vehicle before penalties apply.

A person has 30 days to register a vehicle after moving to Mississippi. If the person doesn't register within the 30 days, he or she will face late fees and a $250 penalty.

Total auto fees in Hinds County, especially if a person lives in Jackson, can be almost double the amount in surrounding counties.

The Mississippi Department of Revenue says In Mississippi a motorist pays privilege tax, registration fees, ad valorem taxes and possibly sales or use tax for an auto tag. Registration fees are $12.75 for renewals and $14 for first-time registrations. All the other taxes are based on the type of vehicle, the value of that vehicle and where you live, whether inside a city or in the rural part of a county.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at 601-961-7212 or jgates@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.

Hinds County is hiring new tag investigator to crack down on illegal license plates.