As part of the state's new amnesty program, millions of delinquent traffic tickets in California may be eligible for a half-off discount beginning January 1.
The legislature came up with the program in an effort to increase the state's revenue amid the current economic crises, said Philip Carrizosa, spokesman for the state Administrative Office of the Courts.
In addition, the state hopes to reduce the backlog of cases in local courts and provide help to those who can't renew their driver's licenses because of unpaid fines.
"We're hopeful people with unpaid tickets will take this opportunity to clear their tickets off the record and to provide some badly needed revenue to the state in these tough economic times," said Carrizosa.
To be eligible, the due date for payment of the fine must be before January 1, 2009 and you cannot owe restitution on any case within the county.
The half-off applies to the original base fine plus any additional penalties and court fees. Parking tickets, however, are not covered by the program.
State officials do not know how much they might collect but a similar program in 2004 generated $1.3 billion, according to KNX Radio.
The program ends June 30, 2012.
