[UPDATED] Drivers surprised by $600 late renewal fee

SEVERAL irate drivers told Newsday they were taken by surprise by an additional late fee of $600 to be paid on top of their standard driver licence renewal fee of $500, when Newsday visited the licensing office at Wrightson Road, Port of Spain on January 5.

Most said they had not even been told beforehand of the new late fee.

Transport Minister Eli Zakour, however, said TT previously did in fact have a late fee which was $350. He said proposed hikes were earlier discussed publicly in Parliament.

Of the crowded premises, Zakour attributed a morning rush to both vehicle transfers plus licence renewals, both within time and expired permits.

Two individuals told Newsday the expiry date on their licences had been January 4, which this year falls on a Sunday, and said the office's closure on that day meant they simply had no chance to renew their licence in time and so they felt in unfair to pay the late fee. One told Newsday he worked in a very sensitive area in helping provide the police with evidence against crime and so needed the licence for his job and so felt he had no choice but to pay the late fee. Another man recalled visiting the office last week only to be told to return this day, upon which he had been surprised to encounter the newly-imposed late fees.

A couple of individuals told Newsday they thought that the licensing office was chaotic, in terms of how they handed clients.

One woman said their system of computerised records seemed to not be working properly.

A memo from Transport Commissioner Clive Clarke, dated January 2, announced the fees and was circulating online on January 5.

This mandated $600 late fees and $500 permit fees for expiry of six months or less, or a permit fee for ten years of $1,000 plus the late fee.

For expiration of six months to three years, the late fee will be $1,000, the memo said, plus $500 and $1,000 permit fees respectively.

Among the new late fees to be paid under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, was a $3,500 late fee to renew a driver licence that had been expired for three-five years.

Someone renewing a permit that expired more than give years must sit the driving test anew.

A permit-holder who was absent from TT for six months-three or for three-five years will pay a late fee of $600 upon the presentation of proof via their passport.

Syldaine Guerra told Newsday, "Yesterday, which is Sunday, my licence expired, January 4. Today I am here with my appointment for today and I am getting charged $600 additional as a late fee on top of the normal $500, which I find is very unreasonable.

"I did not an expiry date which is yesterday. Why should I get charged when I am here today? I am not late.

"I am here to renew my licence and this is the only working day I got off the system to come and renew my licence. It is the day after my licence expired at 12 o'clock on Sunday.

"I find this is very unfair and I am going to take some kind of action. It's unfair. I am not late. Sunday was yesterday and since 7.30 am I am here this morning. I am on time."

Newsday spoke to a lively woman who opted not to give her name, but who said she had learnt of the late fees only on January 5.

She said, "Why are they adding so much money to the renewal? If your permit expired more than three years, you have to pay $3,500 to get it back. What madness it this?"

The woman said anyone renewing their permit just one day after expiry has to cough up $1,100 ($500 permit fee and $600 late fee).

"Or three months after, you have to pay $1,500. That is too much money. Plus you have the fines on the road. That is a little overdo. It is a lot. The impact is so much that poor people ain't able with that." Saying more taxes reduced TT's middle class, she said the hikes would also dampen economic activity. "Just keeping us at this level."

Another woman transferring a vehicle generally complained at how the office was functioning. "The main problem, apart from the inspection line which took forever, was to pay. It was chaos." Of the driving permits, she said, "Everybody is just rushing, I guess, to try to be in order."

Shanika Hernandez said her experience had been terrible. "I am here to renew. I'll pay $1,600 because I want to do ten years."

She said she had incurred the $600 late fee as her licence had expired on December 16. "Some people are saying three months, some people are saying six months and later, is when the late fee is supposed to occur." She said many people thought the late fee should be just $100-$300.

The woman said the office's computerised system to issue customer receipts was not registered for the payment of the late fee. "So it is a back and forth."Asked when she found out about the late fee, she said, "Friday, when I originally came.

"And we had to leave on Friday because they said they were not taking the payment and come back again.

"I was here from 8 am and they came out at 12 noon to say the fee had changed. I came back today since 7.30 am and it's now 1.30 pm.

"And if I don't get through today, I have to take another day (off work) tomorrow."

David Richards told Newsday that he felt the late fee was unfair to the general public.

"We just came to renew our licences and we realise we have to pay more, a late fee, which I am not accustomed to.

"All I know is if you neglect your licence for at least three months or whatever, you pay extra. But not a few days.

"My licence expired and I didn't know – a few days – and you tell me I've got to pay $600 more to renew my permit, which is not right.

"I want to know if I could get back my $600."

He said his permit expired on December 16. "Only today as we come, we realised it had a late fee."

Richards said if he had know before he'd have paid earlier, even as he lamented that people who were just one day expired must pay the late fee.

Newsday spoke to another man, identified only as Jonathon.

"I've been here since 9 am. I came to do a renewal.

"Only when I for here I realised that the late fee seems to be applicable even in the case of mine in which I would have had my licence expire yesterday.

"The government does not open over the weekend, so I came today – as soon as – to get it done, only to find out I have to pay $600, on top of the $500."

He questioned whether people had been notified of the late fees.

"They say that this is information that was put out beforehand – I believe between Friday and today – but that is not..."

He added that any notification had not been via any official notice in the media for everyone to see.

Newsday met a man brandishing his new permit, after four hours there and having paid the $600 late fee after his permit's expiry last December.

He opined that people had 30 days before the expiry date to renew your document but said the public needs to be made aware of this.

Reflecting on his experience that day, he said, "So the crowd, the heat, the everything...It's really something! It's a hell of a way to start the year!

"I find it was very harsh. I may have the money but what about the people who don't have. That was a 'poor'. Poor, poor judgement."

He said he found out about the late fees on January 2, but not from official sources. "I was just hearing it by word of mouth.

"But when I came this morning, they really said it is $600." He said the administration part of the building seemed chaotic but the public service side well run.

Zakour, via a phone call on January 5, told Newsday, "There was a late fee before."

He said the Finance Bill 2025 had made provisions to raise the late fee and had been debated in full public view in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"It was all in the public domain in early December," Zakour said. "People are under the impression that there never was a late fee but there was."

Newsday asked why there was not any grace period over these late fees.

"There is no grace period for people in breach of the law. It is very serious."

Newsday had wanted to ask Zakour if the $3,500 late fee was excessive for expirations exceeding three years, ask about the plight of drivers whose permit had expired on December 4 (a Sunday), and whether the public had got official notifications beforehand. However he ended the call, saying he had to rush into another meeting.

This story was originally published with the title "Drivers complain of $600 late licensing renewal fee" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

SEVERAL drivers have complained to Newsday about having to fork out an additional late fee of $600 to be paid on top of their standard driver's licence renewal fee of $500, when Newsday visited the licensing office at Wrightson Road, Port of Spain on January 5. Most drivers said they had not been told beforehand of the new late fee.

Two individuals told Newsday the expiry date on their licences had been January 4, which this year falls on a Sunday, and said the office's closure on that day meant they simply had no chance to renew their licence in time.

One man told Newsday he worked in a very sensitive area in helping provide the police with evidence against crime and so needed the licence for his job and so felt he had no choice but to pay the late fee.

A couple of individuals told Newsday they thought that the licensing office was chaotic, in terms of how they handed clients. One woman said their system of computerised records seemed to not be working properly. Newsday spoke briefly at lunchtime to Transport Minister Eli Zakour who promised to call us back.

A memo from Transport Commissioner Clive Clarke, dated January 2, announced the fees and was circulated online on January 5.

This mandated a $600 late fee and $500 fee for expiry of five-year permits by six months or less. For the ten-year permit, the fee is $1,000 plus the late fee.

For expiration of six months to three years, the late fee will be $1,000, the memo said, plus $500 (five years) and $1,000 (ten years) permit fees respectively.

Among the new late fees to be paid under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, was a $3,500 late fee to renew a driver's licence that expired for three-five years.

Someone renewing a permit that expired more than five years must resit the driving test.

A permit holder who was absent from TT for six months-three years or for three-five years will pay a late fee of $600 upon the presentation of proof via their passport.