House Bill hb0127

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 127

        By Representative Greenstein






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to driver's licenses; amending

  3         s. 322.18, F.S.; revising provisions relating

  4         to issuance and renewal of driver's licenses

  5         with regard to applicants over a certain age;

  6         providing an effective date.

  7

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

  9

10         Section 1.  Subsections (2), (4), and (8) of section

11  322.18, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

12         322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;

13  expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.--

14         (1)(a)  Except as provided in paragraph (b), the

15  department may issue an original driver's license only after

16  the applicant successfully passes the required examinations

17  and presents the application to the department.

18         (b)  The department may waive the driver's license

19  examination requirement if the applicant is otherwise

20  qualified and surrenders a valid license issued by another

21  state, a province of Canada, or the United States Armed Forces

22  which is of an equal or lesser classification as provided in

23  s. 322.12.

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

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

26  issued a driver's license, as follows:

27         (a)1.  An applicant under 75 years of age applying for

28  an original issuance shall be issued a driver's license which

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

30  occurs on or after the sixth anniversary of the date of issue.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 127

    706-119A-01






  1         2.  An applicant 75 years of age or older, but less

  2  than 85 years of age, applying for an original issuance shall

  3  be issued a driver's license which expires at midnight on the

  4  licensee's birthday which next occurs on or after the fourth

  5  anniversary of the date of issue.

  6         3.  An applicant 85 years of age or older applying for

  7  an original issuance shall be issued a driver's license which

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

  9  occurs on or after the second anniversary of the date of

10  issue.

11         (b)  An applicant under 75 years of age applying for a

12  renewal issuance or renewal extension shall be issued a

13  driver's license or renewal extension sticker which expires at

14  midnight on the licensee's birthday which next occurs 4 years

15  after the month of expiration of the license being renewed,

16  except that a driver under 75 years of age whose driving

17  record reflects no convictions for the preceding 3 years shall

18  be issued a driver's license or renewal extension sticker

19  which expires at midnight on the licensee's birthday which

20  next occurs 6 years after the month of expiration of the

21  license being renewed.

22         (c)  An applicant 75 years of age or older, but less

23  than 85 years of age, applying for a renewal issuance or

24  renewal extension shall be issued a driver's license or

25  renewal extension sticker which expires at midnight on the

26  licensee's birthday which next occurs 4 years after the month

27  of expiration of the license being renewed.

28         (d)  An applicant 85 years of age or older applying for

29  a renewal issuance or renewal extension shall be issued a

30  driver's license or renewal extension sticker which expires at

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 127

    706-119A-01






  1  midnight on the licensee's birthday which next occurs 2 years

  2  after the month of expiration of the license being renewed.

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

  4  licenses shall be renewable every 2 years, 4 years, or 6

  5  years, depending upon the terms of issuance and shall be

  6  issued or extended upon application, payment of the fees

  7  required by s. 322.21, and successful passage of any required

  8  examination, unless the department has reason to believe that

  9  the licensee is no longer qualified to receive a license.

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

11  license extensions to drivers under 75 years of age by mail,

12  electronic, or telephonic means without reexamination.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

21  mail, electronically, or telephonically within the 30 days

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

23  License extensions shall not be available to drivers directed

24  to appear for in-person renewal.

25         (b)  Upon receipt of a properly completed renewal

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

27  that the licensee is still eligible for renewal, the

28  department shall send a license extension sticker to the

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

30  license term has been extended.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 127

    706-119A-01






  1         (c)  The department shall issue license extensions for

  2  two consecutive license expirations only.  Upon expiration of

  3  two consecutive license extension periods, in-person renewal

  4  with reexamination as provided in s. 322.121 shall be

  5  required.  A person who is out of this state when his or her

  6  license expires may be issued a 90-day temporary driving

  7  permit without reexamination. At the end of the 90-day period,

  8  the person must either return to this state or apply for a

  9  license where the person is located, except for a member of

10  the Armed Forces as provided in s. 322.121(6).

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

12  not be available to drivers whose records indicate they were

13  directed to apply for a license extension.

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

15  stolen, fictitious, counterfeit, or unlawfully issued license

16  extension sticker, unless possession by such person has been

17  duly authorized by the department, commits a misdemeanor of

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

19  775.083.

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

21  equitable distribution of license extensions and renewals and

22  the orderly implementation of this section.

23         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

24

25            *****************************************

26                          HOUSE SUMMARY

27
      Revises provisions relating to issuance and renewal of
28    driver's licenses with regard to applicants 75 years of
      age and over. Eliminates the issuance of license
29    extensions by mail for drivers 75 years of age and over.

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