North Carolina SB 694: Remove Barriers to Employment from Court Debt.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 694

Short Title: Remove Barriers to Employment from Court Debt. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Sawrey, Britt, and Daniel (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S694-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT DUE TO COURT DEBT AND TO 2
APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT A TEXT REMINDER SYSTEM FOR COURT 3
DATES. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
SET AUTOMATIC EXPIRATION OF LICENSE REVOCATIONS BASED SOLELY ON 7
THE NONPAYMENT OF FINE, PENALTY, OR COST FOR MOTOR VEHICLE 8
OFFENSES 9
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 20-24.1 reads as rewritten: 10
"§ 20-24.1. Revocation for failure to appear or pay fine, penalty or costs for motor vehicle 11
offenses. 12
(a) The Division must revoke the driver's license of a person upon receipt of notice from 13
a court that the person was charged with a motor vehicle offense and he:did any of the following: 14
(1) failed Failed to appear, after being notified to do so, when the case was called 15
for a trial or hearing; orhearing. 16
(2) failed to pay a fine, penalty, or court costs ordered by the court. 17
Revocation orders entered under the authority of this section are effective on the sixtieth day 18
after the order is mailed or personally delivered to the person. 19
(b) A license revoked under this section remains revoked until the person whose license 20
has been revoked:revoked does any of the following: 21
(1) disposesDisposes of the charge in the trial division in which hethe person 22
failed to appear when the case was last called for trial or hearing; orhearing. 23
(2) demonstratesDemonstrates to the court that hethe person is not the person 24
charged with the offense; oroffense. 25
(3) pays the penalty, fine, or costs ordered by the court; orcourt. 26
(4) demonstrates to the court that his failure to pay the penalty, fine, or costs was 27
not willful and that he is making a good faith effort to pay or that the penalty, 28
fine, or costs should be remitted. 29
Upon receipt of notice from the court that the person has satisfied the conditions of this 30
subsection applicable to histhe person's case, the Division must restore the person's license as 31
provided in subsection (c). In addition, if the person whose license is revoked is not a resident of 32
this State, the Division may notify the driver licensing agency in the person's state of residence 33
that the person's license to drive in this State has been revoked. 34
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General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 694-First Edition
(b2) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a license revoked pursuant only 1
to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, unless that revocation is related to an offense 2
under G.S. 20-138.1, shall be restored after 36 months have passed following the date of the 3
license holder's most recent conviction for an offense under Chapter 20 of the General Statutes. 4
A license holder whose license is restored pursuant to this subsection shall be required to pay the 5
restoration fee set by G.S. 20-7(il). 6
Upon termination of suspensions pursuant to this subsection, the Division shall provide notice 7
to each person whose license suspension was terminated by first-class mail to the address on file 8
with the Division. The notice shall inform the person of the other legal consequences associated 9
with continued failure to pay fines and the options for resolution of any fines and fees that they 10
owe. The Division shall post information to its website about the termination of suspensions 11
pursuant to this subsection. 12
The Administrative Office of the Courts and the Division of Motor Vehicles shall develop a 13
procedure to implement license restorations under this subsection. 14
(c) If the person satisfies the conditions of subsection (b) that are applicable to histhe 15
person's case before the effective date of the revocation order, the revocation order and any 16
entries on histhe person's driving record relating to it shall be deleted and the person does not 17
have to pay the restoration fee set by G.S. 20-7(i1). For all other revocation orders issued 18
pursuant to this section, G.S. 50-13.12 or G.S. 110-142.2, the person must pay the restoration fee 19
and satisfy any other applicable requirements of this Article before the person may be relicensed. 20
(d) To facilitate the prompt return of licenses and to prevent unjustified charges of driving 21
while license revoked, the clerk of court, upon request, must give the person a copy of the notice 22
it sends to the Division to indicate that the person has complied with the conditions of subsection 23
(b) applicable to histhe person's case. If the person complies with the condition before the 24
effective date of the revocation, the notice must indicate that the person is eligible to drive if 25
hethe person is otherwise validly licensed. 26
... 27