Iowans must pay court fees before registering vehicles

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) - Residents who owe court fees or fines to Iowa must pay up before they can get a new car registration or renew their current one.

It's the law. But in the past, the law applied only to clerk of court fees in the resident's home county. As of July 1, it applies to any past due payment in any Iowa county from any time in the past, the Globe Gazette in Mason City reported.

Cerro Gordo County Treasurer Patricia Wright said the new policy has caught many by surprise. She estimated one out of every three patrons have a "stop" on their motor vehicle registration renewals due to non-payment of fees or fines. All must be paid before registrations can be issued.

"We had one instance where someone owed court filing fees on three different divorces in three different counties, all three in the last 15 years," Wright said. "It showed up on our computer screens as a 'stop' and we couldn't do business until the payments were made."

Wright said her office has offered to accept payments so residents who have IOUs don't have to go to another county to settle up. She advises people to go to the state's online court system to see if they owe anything before coming in.

"We used to tell our kids, 'It is your right to own a vehicle, but it is a privilege to drive it,'" she said, referring to renewing the registration. "Now we're saying that to adults."

Floyd County Treasurer Franklin Rottinghaus said people need to remember the treasurer's office is simply the collection point.

"What faces us is we are the bearers of the bad news," he said.

In Hancock County, Treasurer Deb Engstler said her office had a situation where someone owed the state 3 cents and the computer put a stop on the registration until it was paid.

The resident paid the 3 cents plus a $5 administrative fee - and then paid for the car registration.