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A Trinidad and Tobago driver has expressed frustration after being charged a $650 late-renewal penalty for renewing a driving permit just one day after it reportedly expired. The driver said the permit expired on September 27, 2026, and visited the Caroni Licensing Office the following day, September 28, to complete the renewal. A payment receipt from the Licensing Department confirms a $650 charge described as “Penalty – Late Renewal of Driving Permits 6 Months or Less.” The driver was also charged $500 for a five-year driving permit, bringing the total cost of the transaction to $1,150. The motorist questioned the size of the penalty given the short period between the permit’s expiry and renewal. “I had to pay a late fee of $650 plus $500 to renew, in total $1,150, because it expired yesterday, 27th of September, 2026, just one day late,” the driver said. “Not $100 or $200 or $300, a whole $650.” The charge is consistent with the current published fee structure for late renewal of driving permits in Trinidad and Tobago. Under the fee structure, a driving permit that has been expired for six months or less attracts a $650 late-renewal penalty. The standard cost of renewing a driving permit for five years is $500. There is no separate lower published penalty for motorists who renew one day, one week or several weeks after expiry within that first six-month period. That means a motorist whose permit falls into the late-renewal category shortly after its expiry can face a penalty that is $150 more than the cost of the five-year renewal itself. The experience serves as a costly reminder for motorists to check the expiry dates on their driving permits and complete renewals before those dates pass.
