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 provisions of North Dakota traffic and driver-licensing law. It increases and clarifies the penalties for driving while a license is suspended or revoked, including maintaining class B misdemeanor treatment for the first three offenses within five years and class A misdemeanor treatment for later offenses, while preserving enhanced minimum jail time and fines when the suspension or revocation stems from alcohol-related or other specified serious violations. The bill also allows a court to dismiss or amend a suspended-license charge if the driver reinstates the license within 60 days and shows proof to the court, and it continues the authority for courts and certain cities to order destruction of vehicle plates in these cases.
The bill amends the Century Code sections governing suspended/revoked driving, statutory traffic fees, the definition of moving violations, and point assessments on driving records. It updates the fee schedule for a wide range of traffic offenses, including speeding, school-zone and construction-zone violations, commercial motor carrier safety violations, and driving without a license, and it adjusts how certain offenses are classified as moving violations for fee and point purposes. The practical effect is to change the financial consequences of traffic enforcement, affect drivers with suspended or revoked licenses, and alter how violations are recorded and scored by the state.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported, passing the House 80-9 and the Senate 44-1. The vote totals suggest general agreement with the bill’s traffic-safety and enforcement provisions, as well as with the updated fee and penalty structure. No committee transcript was provided, so the available record shows strong legislative support but limited detail on debate.
The main points of contention likely centered on the bill’s tougher treatment of suspended- and revoked-license driving and the higher or revised statutory fees for traffic offenses, especially speeding and commercial motor carrier violations. Those provisions can be viewed as either necessary deterrents or as increased financial and criminal penalties for drivers. The near-unanimous vote indicates that any opposition was limited and did not prevent passage, but the dissenting votes suggest some concern about the scope or severity of the penalties and fee increases.