H. B. 2521
(By Delegates Nesbitt, Walters, Carper and Henderson)
[Introduced March 9, 1993; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact sections eight and twelve, article
two, chapter seventeen-b of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to
increasing the fee for Class E motor vehicle driver's
license; and extending the renewal date from four to six
years.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That sections eight and twelve, article two, chapter
seventeen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read
as follows:
ARTICLE 2. ISSUANCE OF LICENSE, EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL.
§17B-2-8. Issuance and contents of licenses; fees.
(1) The division shall, upon payment of the required fee,
issue to every applicant qualifying therefor a driver's license,
which shall indicate the type or general class or classes of
vehicle or vehicles the licensee may operate in accordance withthis chapter, or chapter seventeen-e of this code, or motorcycle-
only license. Each license shall contain a coded number assigned
to the licensee, the full name, date of birth, residence address,
a brief description and a color photograph of the licensee and
either a facsimile of the signature of the licensee or a space
upon which the signature of the licensee shall be written with
pen and ink immediately upon receipt of the license. No license
shall be valid until it has been so signed by the licensee:
Provided,
That the commissioner may issue a valid without-photo
license for applicants temporarily out of state. A driver's
license which is valid for operation of a motorcycle shall
contain a motorcycle endorsement. The division shall use such
process or processes in the issuance of licenses that will,
insofar as possible, prevent any alteration, counterfeiting,
duplication, reproduction, forging or modification of, or the
superimposition of a photograph on, such license.
(2) The fee for the issuance of a Class E driver's license
shall be ten fifteen dollars and fifty cents. The fee for
issuance of a Class D driver's license shall be twenty-five
dollars and fifty cents. Fifty cents of each such fee shall be
deposited in the "combined voter registration and driver's
licensing fund", established pursuant to the provisions of
section twenty-two-a, article two, chapter three of this code.
The one-time only additional fee for adding a motorcycle
endorsement to a driver's license shall be five dollars. The fee
for issuance of a motorcycle-only license shall be ten dollars. The fees for the motorcycle endorsement or motorcycle-only
license shall be paid into a special fund in the state treasury
known as the motorcycle safety fund as established in section
seven, article one-d of this chapter.
§17B-2-12. Expiration of licenses; renewal; renewal fees.
(a) Except for a Class E driver's license which shall expire
six years after the date of its issuance, every driver's license
shall expire four years from the date of its issuance, except
that the driver's license of any person in the armed forces shall
be extended for a period of six months from the date the person
is separated under honorable circumstances from active duty in
the armed forces.
(b) A person who allows such person's driver's license to
expire may apply to the division for renewal thereof.
Application shall be made upon a form furnished by the division
and shall be accompanied by payment of the fee required by
section eight of this article plus an additional fee of five
dollars. The commissioner shall determine whether such person
qualifies for a renewed license and may, in the commissioner's
discretion, renew any expired license without examination of the
applicant.
(c) Each renewal of a driver's license shall contain a new
color photograph of the licensee. By first class mail to the
address last known to the division, the commissioner shall notify
each person who holds a valid driver's license of the expiration
date of the license. The notice shall be mailed at least thirtydays prior to the expiration date of the license and shall
include a renewal application form.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the fee for
a Class E motor vehicle driver's license and to extend the
renewal requirement from four years to six years from date of
issuance.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.