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California drivers have erupted over huge charges after being duped by sites that closely resemble the DMV web page.

Golden State motorists have been registering their cars under NeedTags.com, a third-party that is authorized to sell DMV services.

But Californians spotted it charges about $90 more than they could have just paid through the state website.

When customers have tried to fight back against the company with credit card disputes, it has responded with threats of legal action.

“I’m not a criminal,” Allen Jensen said tearfully during an interview with ABC 7. “I’ve never been to jail…It’s not about the money. Why is my state doing this?”

Another person, Allyn Peterson of San Jose, also chose to battle the charges and lost.

“My problem is, why is our government enabling them? Why is it officially sanctioned by the government?” Peterson said.

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The company also caught out an 84-year-old woman, who said she didn’t “read the fine print.” Manuella Raquelle of Santa Cruz said she tried to email the company after she fell for it.

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“I said, ‘I’m terribly distressed. I’m 84 years old and I made a terrible mistake and pushed submit in error ,” she wrote in an email to the company, which never responded.

The company can be seen on Google search results as a “sponsored result” and on the state DMV website as a “DMV partner.”

Google ad transparency data shows Continental Green Inc. pays for the ads, and there are 73 different versions of it.

A warning sign sometimes appears under the ads from Google that says: “Not a government website.” A legal advocate blasted the company’s appearance as a DMV business partner.

“They are using this language about being a DMV business partner to create the false impression in someone’s mind that you’re paying the same amount as if you were on the DMV website. That’s not true,” Robert Herrell of the Consumer Federation of California said.

“Consumers are paying, in some cases, hundreds of dollars more beyond what they would pay just by going straight to the DMV website… Which I highly recommend all consumers do go to the DMV website.”

The company does have language on its website that says it is not a government agency and charges extra fees for what the state will do for free.