ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
Trooper Steve on Monday was asked by a viewer named Kate, “My tag is expiring and I renewed online. Waiting on the new sticker still, what should I do?”
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Trooper Steve said this is a great question because it hits right in the limbo stage.
“Oddly enough, I was in this direct situation just a little bit ago,” he said. “Technically, Kate, you can be pulled over because ‘visually’ that tag is expired.”
Law enforcement uses modern-day technology that runs in sync with state databases.
“With technology comes problems. We all experience this type of thing throughout our daily life,” he added.
“If your tag was visibly expired, you would need to print out the current receipt of the renewal and keep that with you until the new sticker arrives in the mail,” Trooper Steve said. “I understand you only know what you know and the law enforcement officer who may pull you over only knows what he or she knows. So having that receipt with your current expired registration and simply showing that it’s valid is much easier than getting frustrated.”
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Trooper Steve said he learned a lesson from his situation.
“I need to hop on the internet a little sooner to renew my documents,” he said.
If you have a traffic question for Trooper Steve, email him at asktroopersteve@wkmg.com.