Psst, here's a secret for avoiding higher state fees after New Year's Day: Drive carefully, park right, wear seat belts, don't get divorced and stay out of jail.
Most of the coming increases target avoidable behavior or court filings ranging from small claims spats to marital splits to massive lawsuits.
But registering vehicles will cost everyone more -- a jump that began this month but will hit families throughout 2009 as renewals become due.
Republicans blocked tax increases this year, but not every fee hike, which requires only a simple majority vote of each legislative house.
Specifically, Californians after Thursday will pay an additional:
-- $35 for traffic tickets, including offenses such as failing to wear a seat belt or driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone.
-- $30 to sue for divorce.
-- $25 to register for traffic school to resolve a moving violation.
-- $20 for backyard-fence disputes, fender benders or other small-claims fights.
-- $15 for vehicle fix-it tickets to correct broken or dysfunctional equipment.
-- $11 to register cars with the Department of Motor Vehicles each year.
-- $3 for not feeding parking meters, exceeding time limits on painted curbs, or other ticketed parking offenses.
Court fees to file the first papers in a divorce, probate or "unlimited" civil action -- with more than $25,000 at stake -- will rise from the current $320 to $350.
Plaintiffs and defendants will be charged the higher fees.
Criminals also will get socked with an extra $30 in fines for each felony or misdemeanor conviction. Costs may be reduced or converted to community service in some cases, however, based on hardship.
Bars, restaurants, liquor stores and other sellers of beer, wine or distilled spirits will pay an additional 12 percent for their annual liquor licenses beginning New Year's Day.
One new state collection tactic beginning Thursday will take about $4 million annually from Californians and funnel it into state coffers without raising taxes or fees.
Taxpayers owing a payment of more than $20,000 or having a total liability exceeding $80,000 will be required to file electronically or be fined 1 percent of the payment. The state expects to profit by earning interest sooner than it does now.
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said his impression is that lawmakers largely held the line on raising costs -- they "didn't get away with too much" -- in an election year with 100 legislative seats up for grabs.
But to those Californians forced to dig deeper into their pocketbooks, it won't matter much whether the higher tab officially is a tax hike, according to Coupal.
Taxes may be used for general government operations and rainy-day reserves, while fees are meant to offset costs of providing a particular service.
Higher vehicle registration fees are expected to raise about $490 million annually for the California Highway Patrol; the higher traffic ticket and court fees, $280 million per year for court improvements; and higher liquor license fees, $3.6 million annually for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Most legislation signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2008 takes effect on New Year's Day, but not necessarily fee hikes. University of California fees rose last summer and California State Univerity tuition increased Sept. 1. Day-use fees jumped by $1 or $2 at dozens of state beaches or parks Oct. 1.
With the state facing a projected $40 billion shortfall over 18 months, Californians may face various other tax or fee hikes in early 2009.
(Jim Sanders of the Sacramento Bee can be reached at jsanders(at)sacbee.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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