DeKalb puts brakes on car tags for deadbeats
In a joint partnership, DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James and Tax Commissioner Claudia Lawson are cracking down on parents who are far behind in their child-support payments.
Under the new initiative, the DA's office will target parents who are more than 60 days delinquent and tell them they could have their car tags revoked or, if requests are pending, denied. "Parents who will not support their children don't deserve to drive," James said, noting some parents have not paid child support in two or more years -- and some have never paid it.
DeKalb will initially send letters to 63 parents and will notify them of their delinquent child support payment status and let them know they are about to lose their tags. Parents will be given 20 days to contact the DA's office before their tags are officially denied or revoked by the Tax Commissioner’s Office.
Lawson said she is proud to partner with the DA's office. "I strongly believe it is critical in today’s world for non-custodial parents to be responsible to their children," she said.
In implementing the initiative, DeKalb joins a number of other Georgia counties that have established similar tag revocation efforts. Georgia’s Division of Child Support Services has implemented a statewide tag revocation effort.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
