Georgia Department of Driver Services is raising the cost of reinstating a suspended driver's license starting Wednesday.
House Bill 160 was passed during 2009 legislative session to generate revenue to support trauma care in the state. These funds will be raised in two ways, including increases to reinstatement fees for many driver license suspensions and the creation of new fees and suspension for so-called "super speeders."
The reinstatement fee increases and the implementation of the new traffic citation language will go into effect in two phases.
Phase 1 -- License reinstatement fees increase July 1
The driver's license reinstatement fee increases go into effect on July 1 and applies to suspensions imposed from then on. Anyone whose license is suspended earlier does not face the increase.
The suspensions subject to increased reinstatement fees include the following:
1. Tiered fees for license suspensions imposed upon teens under 16 who are convicted of DUI or drug offenses:
1st offense: $210 (or $200 if paid by mail)
2nd offense: $310 (or $300 by mail)
3rd or subsequent offense: $410 (or $400 by mail)
2. A new reinstatement fee of $210 (or $200 by mail) for license suspensions resulting from convictions for violations of license restrictions.
3. Increases the reinstatement fee for license suspensions for failure to appear to $100 ($90 by mail).
4. Increases the reinstatement fee for a second or subsequent serious juvenile suspension to $310 ($300 by mail).
5 Increases the reinstatement fee for habitual violator revocations to $410 ($400 by mail).
6. Increases the reinstatement fees for license suspensions for driving without insurance. The fee for a first suspension within five years will be $210 (or $200 by mail), and the fee for reinstatement of a second or subsequent suspension within five years will be $310 ($300 by mail).
7. Fee structure for controlled substance suspensions:
1st offense in five years: $210 ($200 by mail)
2nd offense in five years: $310 ($300 by mail)
3rd offense in five years: $410 ($400 by mail)
8 Fee structure for points suspensions and suspensions for mandatory offenses:
1st offense in five years: $210 ($200 by mail)
2nd offense in five years: $310 ($300 by mail)
3rd offense in five years: $410 ($400 by mail)
9. Fee structure for suspensions imposed for driving with a suspended license:
1st offense in five years: $210 ($200 by mail)
2nd offense in five years: $310 ($300 by mail)
3rd offense in five years: $410 ($400 by mail)
Phase 2 -- Speeding penalty begins Jan. 1
The changes include an amendment to O.C.G.A. §40-6-187 to provide that every charge of speeding must indicate whether the offense occurred on a two-lane road or highway. DDS will be making additional changes to the uniform traffic citation form used by law enforcement statewide to accommodate this requirement. This data will be used by the DDS to determine whether it should impose the fee and/or license suspension established in O.C.G.A. §40-6-189.
According to O.C.G.A. §40-6-189, any person who is convicted of speeding at 85 mph or more on any road or at 75 mph or more on a two-lane road is subject to the imposition of a penalty of $200.
DDS must send written notice to the customer within 30 days of its receipt of a super-speeder citation, and if the customer does not pay the citation within 90 days, he or she is subject to a license suspension of indefinite duration until he or she pays the fee plus a reinstatement fee of $50.