2003 SESSION

03-0912

03/09

HOUSE BILL 819

COMMITTEE: Transportation

ANALYSIS

This bill modifies the expiration provisions for youth operator's licenses held by persons over 18 years of age. This bill also establishes a separate original driver's license to be issued upon expiration of the youth operator's license and to expire on the person's twenty-first birthday.

This bill is a request of the department of safety.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0912

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

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

170:1 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).

170:2 Youth Operator's License. Amend RSA 263:14, II(f)-(g) 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.

(g)(1) A youth operator's license shall expire one month after the first anniversary of its issuance unless the holder is [convicted of an offense specified in RSA 259:39] subject to the provisions of subparagraph (2).

(2) If the holder of a youth operator's license is convicted of an offense specified in RSA 259:39, the license shall expire one year after the date of the holder's last conviction of any offense specified in RSA 259:39 and the holder shall not be eligible to apply for any other form of license under title XXI until the youth operator's license has expired. If an action for an offense specified in RSA 259:39 is pending against the holder of a youth operator's license on the date of the license's scheduled expiration, the director shall issue a temporary license to the holder valid until the conclusion of the action.

170:3 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; 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.

170:4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

(Approved: Enacted in accordance with Article 44, Part II, N.H. Constitution, without signature of Governor, June 18, 2003)

(Effective Date: July 1, 2003)