SB495: relative to original and youth operators' licenses.

CHAPTER 173

SB 495-FN – FINAL VERSION

03/17/04 0803s

29Apr2004… 1184h

2004 SESSION

04-3215

03/09

SENATE BILL 495-FN

AN ACT relative to original and youth operators’ licenses.

SPONSORS: Sen. Flanders, Dist 7; Sen. Clegg, Dist 14; Rep. Tholl, Coos 2; Rep. Gleason, Rock 77; Rep. Letourneau, Rock 77

COMMITTEE: Transportation

ANALYSIS

This bill modifies the expiration and suspension provisions of the original and youth operators’ license law.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03/17/04 0803s

29Apr2004… 1184h

04-3215

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Four

AN ACT relative to original and youth operators’ licenses.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

173:1 Original Driver’s License. Amend RSA 263:14, I to read as follows:

I. [(a)] The director, upon receiving proper application for an original driver’s license, may in the director’s discretion issue a license designated as an original, with such designation to be effective until the fifth anniversary of the license holder’s date of birth following the date of issuance to allow such applicant to gain proper driving habits, attitudes, and experience.

[(b) Upon the expiration of the youth operator’s license as set forth in subparagraph II(g), the applicant shall be issued an original driver’s license which shall expire on the applicant’s twenty-first birthday. Upon reaching the age of 21, the applicant shall be issued a 5-year original driver’s license under subparagraph (a).]

173:2 Youth Operator’s License; Issuance and Expiration. Amend RSA 263:14, II(a) to read as follows:

II.(a) The director shall issue a youth operator’s license to applicants who are 16 years of age or older and under [18] 21 years of age. The youth operator license shall expire on the 21st anniversary of the applicant’s date of birth. In addition to any other requirements established by law, no such license shall be issued to applicants under 18 years of age unless the applicant meets the requirements of RSA 263:17 or furnishes written consent from the applicant’s parent or legal guardian and a certificate of successful completion of a driver education course as provided in RSA 263:19.

173:3 Youth Operator’s License; Reference Changed. Amend RSA 263:14, II(f) to read as follows:

(f) The restrictions set forth in RSA 263:14, II(b), (c), and (d)[, and (g)(2)] shall not apply to drivers who are over 18 years of age.

173:4 Original License; Revocation and Suspension. Amend RSA 263:14, III(a)-(b) to read as follows:

III.(a) The director is authorized to revoke or suspend any original license [issued under title XXI] held by a person under 20 years of age after a hearing upon a showing by its records or other sufficient evidence that the driver has committed an offense [during the first year following the issuance of an original license or has committed 2 or more offenses during the first 2 years], excluding the offenses of RSA 261:40, RSA 261:59, and RSA 266:5, following the issuance of an original license for which the original license holder has been convicted.

(b) The periods of suspension or revocation set forth in subparagraph III(a) of this section shall be as follows:

(1) For a first offense [during the first year following the issuance of an original license] 20 days.

(2) For a second offense [during the first 2 years following the issuance of an original license] 45 days.

(3) For a third or subsequent offense [during the first 2 years following the issuance of an original license] 90 days.

173:5 Driver’s License Fees. Amend RSA 263:42, I to read as follows:

I. For each original driver’s license and examination or driver’s license renewal, other than for a commercial vehicle or motorcycle- $50; [for each original driver’s license up to age 21- $10 per year, not to exceed $40;] for each youth operator’s license and examination- $10 per year, not to exceed $50; for each original commercial driver license and examination or commercial driver license renewal- $60; for each commercial driver license reexamination in a one-year period- $20; for each commercial vehicle endorsement, renewal of an endorsement, or removal of a restriction- $10; for each special motorcycle original license and examination or special motorcycle license renewal- $50; for each original motorcycle endorsement- $25; for each motorcycle endorsement renewal- no charge. For each original driver’s license issued, $5 shall be credited to the driver training fund established by RSA 263:52. Except as provided in RSA 263:14, every license shall expire on the licensee’s birthdate in the fifth year following the issuance of such license. No fee collected under this paragraph shall be refunded once an examination has been taken or a license issued, except as provided in RSA 263:43.

173:6 Repeal. RSA 263:14, II(g), relative to expiration of youth operator’s license, is repealed.

173:7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

(Approved: May 25, 2004)

(Effective Date: May 25, 2004)