The bill authorizes local authorities to enforce the requirement that
a vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or motor vehicle (vehicle) be registered. A conviction by a local authority does not bar a subsequent state prosecution if the subsequent prosecution does not arise from the same event.
A court will waive the following for a violation concerning a
failure to register a vehicle: •
The penalties imposed for the violation if the court finds that the failure to register the vehicle was for good cause;
•
The past-due specific ownership tax if the person demonstrates that the person's household had an income that was 150% or less below the current federal poverty line when the violation occurred; or
•
The past-due fees, past-due specific ownership tax, and penalties if the person demonstrates that the person's household had an income that was 100% or less below the current federal poverty line when the violation occurred.
The department of revenue will adopt forms and rules to implement the bill. Current law requires each court to send an abstract of each conviction to the department for the person's driving record. The bill requires this abstract to include any waivers granted under the bill and the amount of the waivers. The department will include information regarding the number and amount of waivers granted in its SMART Act hearing.
