After the secretary of state said his office had no money to mail vehicle registration reminders, the Illinois Sheriffs' Association asked police throughout the state to issue warnings, instead of citations, for expired license plate stickers.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White issued a notice Monday, September 29, confirming his office will stop mailing reminders to renew license plate registrations on vehicles in the state. White said the postage account was nearly depleted, and the move to suspend mailing reminder notices was expected to save about $450,000 per month.
White blamed the ongoing Illinois budge impasse for the problem.
Now, the president of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association is asking local and state law enforcement "to use their discretion and issue warnings rather than citations for expired license plate stickers," according to a statement he issued Wednesday, September 30.
"The lack of state budget changes the dynamics," said LaSalle County Sheriff Tom Templeton, who is president of the Illinois Sheriff's Association. "Secretary White has done an outstanding job of notifying the public of upcoming expirations but all that has changed with the budget impasse. Law enforcement officers have vast discretion in issuing traffic and equipment citations. Here is an opportunity to assist our citizens rather than penalize them for something beyond their control."
Templeton suggested issuing warnings for stickers that have been expired for less than 60 days.
The association is a non-profit that advocates for communication and cooperation among sheriffs throughout Illinois, including training and development for Sheriffs and their support teams.