SB 164 - Currently, if a Missouri resident charged with a moving traffic violation, other than a minor traffic violation as defined by law, fails to resolve the charges prior to trial as provided by law and fails to appear in court, or without good cause fails to pay fines and court costs or adhere to an approved installment plan, the court shall notify the person by mail that the court will order the Director of the Department of Revenue to suspend their driver's license if the charges are not resolved within 30 days. Thereafter, if the person does not timely resolve the charges, the court shall notify the Department of Revenue and the Department shall suspend the driver's license immediately and notify the driver. The suspension shall remain in effect as provided by law. (Section 302.341) This act specifies that the court may, rather than shall, order the Department of Revenue to suspend the defendant's license. The act also repeals an obsolete reference to a former bureau within the Department of Revenue. (Section 302.341.1)
Furthermore, this act permits the same suspension process for minor traffic violations, except that with regard to suspensions for failure to appear, it requires that the defendant have failed to appear in court twice rather than once. (Section 302.341.3)
Where a defendant is charged exclusively with minor traffic violations, any suspension under the act shall be accompanied by the issuance of a limited driving privilege, as provided by law, unless the defendant is found by the Department of Revenue to be ineligible. (Section 302.341.4)
This act is identical to HB 526 (2021), and provisions in HCS/SS/SB 46 (2021), and similar to SB 1015 (2020), HB 2312 (2020), and HB 1439 (2020).
ERIC VANDER WEERD