House Bill 1751

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1751

        By Representative Healey






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to driver licenses; amending s.

  3         322.12, F.S.; requiring tests of certain

  4         elderly drivers at designated intervals;

  5         amending s. 322.18, F.S.; creating a 3-year

  6         license for certain drivers; amending s.

  7         322.21, F.S.; revising the fee for certain

  8         original or renewal driver licenses; providing

  9         an effective date.

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12

13         Section 1.  Subsection (6) is added to section 322.12,

14  Florida Statutes, to read:

15         322.12  Examination of applicants.--

16         (6)(a)  The department shall examine every applicant

17  for an original driver license, or renewal thereof, every 3

18  years after the attainment of the licensee's 75th birthday.

19         (b)  Any applicant or licensee who has attained the age

20  of 73 years and 6 months, but is not older than 75 years of

21  age, may be issued a Florida driver license valid through

22  midnight of the applicant's 78th birthday.

23         (c)  All examinations and reexaminations conducted by

24  the department, pursuant to this subsection, shall include

25  vision, hearing, and other such tests as deemed necessary by

26  the department.

27         (d)  The department is authorized to adjust the

28  expiration date of any issued license necessary to comply with

29  the provisions of this subsection.

30         Section 2.  Subsections (2), (4), and (8) of section

31  322.18, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1751

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  1         322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;

  2  expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.--

  3         (2)  Each applicant who is entitled to the issuance of

  4  a driver's license, as provided in this section, shall be

  5  issued a driver's license, as follows:

  6         (a)  An applicant applying for an original issuance

  7  shall be issued a driver's license which expires at midnight

  8  on the licensee's birthday which next occurs on or after the

  9  sixth anniversary of the date of issue. An applicant for an

10  original license, who is 75 years of age or older, shall be

11  issued a license which expires at midnight on the licensee's

12  birthday which next occurs on or after the third anniversary

13  of the date of issue.

14         (b)  An applicant applying for a renewal issuance or

15  renewal extension, whose driving record reflects assessment of

16  no more than three points for the preceding 3 years, shall be

17  issued a driver's license or renewal extension sticker which

18  expires at midnight on the licensee's birthday which next

19  occurs 6 4 years after the month of expiration of the license

20  being renewed, except that a driver whose driving record

21  reflects no convictions for the preceding 3 years shall be

22  issued a driver's license or renewal extension sticker which

23  expires at midnight on the licensee's birthday which next

24  occurs 6 years after the month of expiration of the license

25  being renewed.

26         (4)  Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all

27  licenses shall be renewable every 3 4 years or 6 years,

28  depending upon the terms of issuance and shall be issued or

29  extended upon application, payment of the fees required by s.

30  322.21, and successful passage of any required examination,

31

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1751

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  1  unless the department has reason to believe that the licensee

  2  is no longer qualified to receive a license.

  3         (8)  The department shall issue 4-year and 6-year

  4  license extensions by mail, electronic, or telephonic means

  5  without reexamination for no more than 2 consecutive license

  6  extensions.

  7         (a)  If the department determines from its records that

  8  the holder of a license about to expire is eligible for

  9  renewal, the department shall mail a renewal notice to the

10  licensee at his or her last known address, not less than 30

11  days prior to the licensee's birthday.  The renewal notice

12  shall direct the licensee to appear at a driver license office

13  for in-person renewal or to transmit the completed renewal

14  notice and the fees required by s. 322.21 to the department by

15  mail, electronically, or telephonically within the 30 days

16  preceding the licensee's birthday for a license extension.

17  License extensions shall not be available to drivers directed

18  to appear for in-person renewal.

19         (b)  Upon receipt of a properly completed renewal

20  notice, payment of the required fees, and upon determining

21  that the licensee is still eligible for renewal, the

22  department shall send a license extension sticker to the

23  licensee to affix to the expiring license as evidence that the

24  license term has been extended.

25         (c)  The department shall issue license extensions for

26  two consecutive license expirations only.  Upon expiration of

27  a second two consecutive license extension period periods,

28  in-person renewal with reexamination as provided in s. 322.121

29  shall be required.  A person who is out of this state when his

30  or her license expires may be issued a 90-day temporary

31  driving permit without reexamination. At the end of the 90-day

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1751

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  1  period, the person must either return to this state or apply

  2  for a license where the person is located, except for a member

  3  of the Armed Forces as provided in s. 322.121(5)(6).

  4         (d)  In-person renewal at a driver license office shall

  5  not be available to drivers whose records indicate they were

  6  directed to apply for a license extension.

  7         (e)  Any person who knowingly possesses any forged,

  8  stolen, fictitious, counterfeit, or unlawfully issued license

  9  extension sticker, unless possession by such person has been

10  duly authorized by the department, commits a misdemeanor of

11  the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.

12  775.083.

13         (f)  The department shall develop a plan for the

14  equitable distribution of license extensions and renewals and

15  the orderly implementation of this section.

16         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 322.21, Florida

17  Statutes, is amended to read:

18         322.21  License fees; procedure for handling and

19  collecting fees.--

20         (1)  Except as otherwise provided herein, the fee for:

21         (a)  An original or renewal commercial driver's license

22  is $50, which shall include the fee for driver education

23  provided by s. 233.063; however, if an applicant has completed

24  training and is applying for employment or is currently

25  employed in a public or nonpublic school system that requires

26  the commercial license, the fee shall be the same as for a

27  Class E driver's license.  A delinquent fee of $1 shall be

28  added for a renewal made not more than 12 months after the

29  license expiration date.

30         (b)  An original Class D or Class E driver's license is

31  $10 for a license issued for 3 years and $20 for a license

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1751

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  1  issued for 6 years $20, which shall include the fee for

  2  driver's education provided by s. 233.063; however, if an

  3  applicant has completed training and is applying for

  4  employment or is currently employed in a public or nonpublic

  5  school system that requires a commercial driver license, the

  6  fee shall be the same as for a Class E license.

  7         (c)  The renewal or extension of a Class D or Class E

  8  driver's license issued for 3 years is $7.50 and the renewal

  9  or extension of a Class D or Class E driver's license issued

10  for 6 years or of a license restricted to motorcycle use only

11  is $15, except that a delinquent fee of $1 shall be added for

12  a renewal or extension made not more than 12 months after the

13  license expiration date.  The fee provided in this paragraph

14  shall include the fee for driver's education provided by s.

15  233.063.

16         (d)  An original driver's license restricted to

17  motorcycle use only is $20, which shall include the fee for

18  driver's education provided by s. 233.063.

19         (e)  Each endorsement required by s. 322.57 is $5.

20         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

21

22            *****************************************

23                          HOUSE SUMMARY

24
      Directs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
25    Vehicles to examine every applicant for an original
      driver license, or renewal thereof, every 3 years after
26    the attainment of the licensee's 75th birthday. Provides
      for a 3-year license for drivers over 75 years of age.
27    See bill for details.

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