Bill 4283

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               4283
Ratification Number:       736
Act Number                 596
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Relating to the reinstatement of a
                           suspended or revoked driver's license

(A596, R736, H4283)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 56-1-390 AND 56-25-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE REINSTATEMENT OF A SUSPENDED OR REVOKED DRIVER'S LICENSE, SO AS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THE REINSTATEMENT FEE FROM TEN TO THIRTY DOLLARS, TO DELETE THE PROVISION WHICH REQUIRES PROOF OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE REINSTATEMENT AND A PROVISION REQUIRING THE REINSTATEMENT FEE UNLESS DRIVER IMPROVEMENT INSTRUCTION IS PROVIDED, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE FEES COLLECTED MUST BE USED FOR MAINTENANCE OF STATE HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES INSTEAD OF FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DRIVER IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND OTHER PURPOSES AS PROVIDED IN CHAPTER 11 OF TITLE 57, AND PROVIDE THAT ONE DOLLAR OF THE REINSTATEMENT FEE MUST BE CREDITED TO THE "KEEP SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUTIFUL FUND", AND REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO EMPLOY WITH FUNDS FROM THE FUND A PERSON TRAINED IN HORTICULTURE TO ADMINISTER A PROGRAM FOR BEAUTIFYING RIGHTS-OF-WAY ALONG STATE HIGHWAYS AND ROADS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Reinstatement of suspended drivers' licenses

SECTION 1. Section 56-1-390 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-1-390. (1) Whenever the Department of Highways and Public Transportation suspends or revokes the license of a person under its lawful authority, the license remains suspended or revoked and must not be reinstated or renewed nor may another license be issued to that person until he also remits to the department a reinstatement fee of thirty dollars.

(2) All fees collected by the department under this provision must be placed in the State Highway Fund and used by the department for maintenance of state highways and bridges, except that one dollar of the fees listed in item (1) must be credited to the "Keep South Carolina Beautiful Fund". From the "Keep South Carolina Beautiful Fund", the department must expend such funds as may be necessary to employ, within the department, a person with training in horticulture to administer a program for beautifying the rights-of-way along state highways and roads."

Reinstatement of suspended drivers' licenses

SECTION 2. Section 56-25-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-25-20. When a South Carolina court or the driver licensing authority of a compact jurisdiction notifies the department that a resident of South Carolina or person possessing a valid South Carolina driver's license has failed to comply with the terms of a traffic citation issued in this or any compact jurisdiction, the department shall suspend the person's driver's license if any such notice from a South Carolina court is received no more than five months from the date on which the traffic citation was issued. The license must remain suspended until satisfactory evidence has been furnished to the department of compliance with the terms of the citation and any further order of the court having jurisdiction in the matter and until a reinstatement fee as provided in Section 56-1-390 is paid to the department. A person whose license is suspended under this section is not required to file proof of financial responsibility as required by the Financial Responsibility Act (Chapter 9 of Title 56) as a condition for reinstatement.

Upon notification by a South Carolina court that a nonresident licensed in a compact jurisdiction has failed to comply with the terms of a traffic citation, the department shall notify the licensing authority in the compact jurisdiction for such action as appropriate under the terms of the compacts."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 25th day of June, 1990.