PARKING TICKETS

Senate Bill 130

Sponsor:  Sen. Dave Hildenbrand

House Committee:  Judiciary

Senate Committee:  Transportation

Complete to 6-8-11

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 130 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 5-26-11

The bill would reduce, from six to three, the number of unpaid parking tickets that trigger driver license sanctions from the secretary of state. 

Currently, a court may notify a person who has failed to answer six or more parking violation notices (or citations regarding illegal parking) that if he or she does not appear within ten days after the notice was issued, the court will inform the secretary of state (SOS) of the person's failure to appear.  The SOS is then prohibited from issuing a driver's license or renewing a driver's license for that person until the court notifies the SOS that the person has resolved the outstanding tickets and paid the court a $45 driver license clearance fee.  A court may waive the fee for a person who has five or fewer parking violations for which the SOS withheld issuance of a new or renewed license.

Senate Bill 130 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code (MCL 257.321a) to decrease from six to three the number of unanswered parking violation notices or citations that trigger the notification to SOS by the court and the mandatory freeze on issuing a new or renewed driver's license.  The bill would also decrease from five or fewer to two or fewer the number of parking violations for which the court could waive the driver license clearance fee.  The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Senate Bill 130 would have an indeterminate, but likely positive, fiscal impact on state and local governments.  To the extent that there are increased driver license clearance fee collections under the bill, the $45 fee is distributed as follows: $15 to the Secretary of State; $15 to the Juror Compensation Reimbursement Fund; and $15 to the local unit of government.  In addition, local units of government could realize increased parking violation collections due to the lower number of parking citations that can lead a court to notify a person of their need to appear and resolve all outstanding parking violations or trigger a driver license denial. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Susan Stutzky

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Ben Gielczyk

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.