RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 156 (HB 698) 2024 Regular Session Schamerhorn
Existing law authorizes the department to suspend the driving and motor vehicle registration
privileges of any person who pays taxes or fees to the office of motor vehicles with a check
that is dishonored for insufficient funds, if the person fails to redeem the check within 30
days after the date notice of suspension is mailed to the licensee by the department. Specifies
that the period of suspension begins 30 days after the date the notice of suspension is mailed
to the licensee by the department.
New law retains existing law and adds a public license tag agent contracted with or acting
on behalf of the office of motor vehicles to provisions authorizing the office of motor
vehicles to suspend a person driver's license privileges if the person paid taxes or fees with
an insufficient funds check or any form of payment that is subject to a chargeback.
Prior law provided that any license suspended would remain suspended until all pending
assessments against the person, including a reinstatement fee have been paid in cash. It
would have specified that no economic hardship license would be issued when a person's
driving and motor vehicle registration privileges were suspended.
New law removes the requirement that assessments for suspended licenses must be paid in
cash. Additionally, removes the prohibition against the issuance of an economic hardship
license while a person's driving privileges are suspended.
New law authorizes the office of motor vehicles to suspend the driving and motor vehicle
registration privileges of any person who pays taxes or fees to either the office of motor
vehicles or to a public license tag agent contracted with the office of motor vehicles, with a
credit or debit card or any form of electronic payment that is the subject of a chargeback, if
the person fails to make the required payment within 30 days after the date notice of
suspension is mailed to the licensee by the department. Further specifies the period of
suspension will begin 30 days after the date the notice of suspension is mailed to the licensee
by the department.
Effective August 1, 2024.
(Amends R.S. 32:414(N))