AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 39-06-42, 39-06.1-06, and 39-06.1-09 and paragraph 23 of subdivision a of subsection 3 of section 39-06.1-10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to operating a motor vehicle while driving privileges are suspended or revoked, the amount of statutory fees, the definition of moving violations, and entries against a driving record; and to provide a penalty.
HB 1422 revises several traffic and driver-licensing provisions in North Dakota law. The bill updates the penalty for driving while a license is suspended or revoked, including maintaining the class B misdemeanor for the first three offenses within five years and a class A misdemeanor for subsequent offenses, while also preserving enhanced penalties when the underlying suspension or revocation was tied to alcohol-related offenses or certain other serious violations. It also keeps in place the court’s authority to order destruction of vehicle license plates in these cases and allows cities to authorize similar municipal enforcement procedures.
The bill also amends the state’s statutory fee schedule for noncriminal traffic dispositions. It restates and adjusts the fees for a wide range of moving and nonmoving violations, including speeding, school-zone speeding, construction-zone speeding, commercial motor vehicle safety violations, and driving without a license. In addition, it updates the statutory definition of “moving violation” and a driving-record points entry for operating a motor vehicle without a license, which affects how violations are classified and recorded by the state.
HB 1422 affects North Dakota Century Code sections governing suspended/revoked driving offenses, traffic citation fees, moving-violation definitions, and driver-record points. Its practical effect is to preserve and clarify penalties and administrative consequences for unlicensed, suspended, and revoked driving, while also codifying the fee amounts used by courts and law enforcement for a broad set of traffic offenses. The bill impacts drivers, courts, municipal judges, sheriffs, and the Department of Transportation by maintaining the enforcement framework for traffic violations and license-related offenses.
The bill appears to have broad support. It passed the House 80-9 and the Senate 44-1, indicating strong bipartisan approval with only limited opposition. The lack of committee transcript material suggests no major public controversy was recorded in the provided materials, and the vote margins indicate the measure was generally viewed as a routine traffic-law update rather than a highly contentious policy change.
The main points of potential contention are the bill’s penalty structure and fee schedule. Critics could object to the continued criminal penalties for driving while suspended or revoked, especially the mandatory minimum jail time for certain underlying offenses, as well as the detailed fee increases or restatements for speeding and other traffic violations. Supporters likely view these provisions as necessary for traffic safety, consistent enforcement, and administrative clarity. The near-unanimous votes suggest any disagreement was limited and did not prevent passage.