For a charge of operating a vehicle with expired registration, if the defendant purchases valid registration and pays the late fee within 20 working days and presents evidence to the court, the charge may be dismissed.

• A. True
• B. 10 working days
• C. Only before the first court appearance
• D. False

Answer: (A)

Curing a defect by timely compliance can lead to dismissal. If a driver charged with operating a vehicle with expired registration buys valid registration and pays the late fee within 20 working days, and then presents proof of this to the court, the judge may dismiss the charge. The key idea is that correcting the violation within the allowed window and showing evidence to the court gives the court a reason to dismiss, exercising its discretion to overlook the offense once the defect is cured. It’s not tied to a shorter timeframe like 10 days, nor is it limited to before the first court appearance—the requirement is the 20‑day window and presenting the proof. And because the statute uses “may be dismissed,” it acknowledges discretion rather than a guaranteed outcome.