VEHICLE CODE: UNPAID PARKING TICKETS

House Bill 4726

Sponsor:  Rep. Roy Schmidt

Committee:  Transportation

Complete to 8-19-09

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4726 AS INTRODUCED 3-31-09

Under the Michigan Vehicle Code, generally speaking, a motorist who fails to answer two or more handicapper parking violation notices or citations or six or more regular parking violation notices or citations will be notified by the court that if he or she does not contact the court to resolve the violations within 10 days, then the court will inform the Secretary of State of the individual's failure to appear.  The Secretary of State will then not be able to issue a license or renew a license for that person until notified by the court that the matter has been resolved and the individual has paid a $45 driver license clearance fee to the court. 

(According to information from the SOS, there is no license suspension in these cases.  These are described as "stop action" orders and they prohibit any further licensing activity.)

House Bill 4726 would revise this provision to make it apply when a motorist has failed to answer three or more parking violation notices or citations rather than six or more.  The handicapper parking violation threshold would remain unchanged.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

HB 4726 would have an indeterminate, but likely negligible, fiscal impact on the judicial branch.  The judicial branch could experience a positive fiscal impact through the increase in driver license clearance fees paid to the court.  Under HB 4726 the number of unanswered parking violation notices needed for the court to report to the Secretary of State and induce the payment of a driver license clearance fee would be reduced to three instead of six. 

The bill would have would have no significant fiscal impact on the Secretary of State of Michigan.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   E. Best

                                                                                                                           Chris Couch

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Ben Gielczyk

                                                                                                                           Viola Bay Wild

■ 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.