H. B. 4427
(By Delegates Leach, Hubbard,
Yeager, Jenkins, Underwood,
Amores and L. White)
[Introduced February 13, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section twelve, article two, chapter
seventeen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to requiring a
vision test for renewal of a driver's license.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section 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-2-12. Expiration of licenses; renewal; renewal fees.
(a) 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) After the thirtieth day of June, one thousand nine hundred
ninety-six, the following shall apply:
(1) Every driver's license issued to persons who have attained
their twenty-first birthday shall expire on the last day of the
month in which the applicant's birthday occurs in those years in
which the applicant's age is evenly divisible by five. Except as
provided in the following subdivisions, no driver's license may
be issued for less than three years nor more than seven years and
such driver's license shall be renewed in the month in which the
applicant's birthday occurs and shall be valid for a period of
five years, expiring in the month in which the applicant's
birthday occurs and in a year in which the applicant's age is
evenly divisible by five.
(2) Every driver's license issued to persons who have not
attained their twenty-first birthday shall expire on the last day
of the month in the year in which the applicant attains the age
of twenty-one years.
(3) 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.
(c) A person who allows his or her 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.
(d) 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 thirty
days prior to the expiration date of the license and shall
include a renewal application form.
(e) The division shall require every person applying for
renewal of a driver's license to take and successfully pass a
test of eyesight as prescribed by the commissioner and
superintendent of the state police.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require persons applying
for renewal of a driver's license to pass a vision test
administered by the State Police or Division of Motor Vehicles.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that
would be added.