Legislation	Clerk's Office	Members	Committees	Meetings	Home	Senate

HB 581 - Driver's license; persons under 21; driver education course

Epps, Carl Von (131st)	Taylor, Maretta M (134th)	Hugley, Carolyn F (133rd)
Stanley, Pamela A (49th)	Mobley, Barbara J (69th)

Status Summary	HC:	MotV	SC:		FR:	02/11/99	LA:	02/12/99	H - Read 2nd Time

First Reader Summary

A BILL to amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to issuance, expiration, and renewal of drivers' licenses, so as to change certain provisions relating to persons not to be licensed; to require a course of driver education for certain applicants for drivers' licenses; and for other purposes.

HB 581                                             LC 24 1317 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official 
  1- 2  Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to issuance, expiration, 
  1- 3  and renewal of drivers' licenses, so as to change certain 
  1- 4  provisions relating to persons not to be licensed; to 
  1- 5  require a course of driver education for certain applicants 
  1- 6  for drivers' licenses; to allow public schools to offer such 
  1- 7  courses over the summer and to charge for them; to provide 
  1- 8  for standards for approval of driver education courses; to 
  1- 9  provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and 
  1-10  for other purposes. 
 
  1-11       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-12                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-13  Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of 
  1-14  Georgia Annotated, relating to issuance, expiration, and 
  1-15  renewal of drivers' licenses, is amended by striking 
  1-16  subsection (a) of Code Section 40-5-22, relating to persons 
  1-17  not to be licensed, and inserting in its place the 
  1-18  following: 
 
  1-19      "(a)(1) The department shall not issue any Class C 
  1-20      driver's license to any person who is under 18 years of 
  1-21      age or Class M driver's license to any person who is 
  1-22      under the age of 16 years, except that the department 
  1-23      may, under subsection (a) of Code Section 40-5-24, issue 
  1-24      a Class P instruction permit permitting the operation of 
  1-25      a noncommercial Class C vehicle to any person who is at 
  1-26      least 15 years of age, and may, under subsection (b) of 
  1-27      Code Section 40-5-24, issue a Class D driver's license 
  1-28      permitting the operation of a noncommercial Class C 
  1-29      vehicle to any person who is at least 16 years of age. 
  1-30      On and after January 1, 1985, the department shall not 
  1-31      issue any driver's license to any person under 18 years 
  1-32      of age unless such person presents a certificate or 
  1-33      other evidence acceptable to the department which 
  1-34      indicates satisfactory completion of an alcohol and drug 
  1-35      course as prescribed in subsection (b) of Code Section 
 
 
                                 -1- 
 
 
 
  2- 1      20-2-142; provided, however, that a person under 18 
  2- 2      years of age who becomes a resident of this state and 
  2- 3      who has in his or her immediate possession a valid 
  2- 4      license issued to him or her in another state or country 
  2- 5      shall not be required to take or complete the alcohol 
  2- 6      and drug course. The department shall not issue a 
  2- 7      driver's license or a Class P instruction permit for the 
  2- 8      operation of a Class A or B vehicle or any commercial 
  2- 9      driver's license to any person who is under the age of 
  2-10      18 years. 
 
  2-11        (2)(A) On and after January 1, 2000, the department 
  2-12        shall not issue any Class C or Class M driver's 
  2-13        license to any person who is under 21 years of age 
  2-14        unless such person presents acceptable evidence that 
  2-15        he or she satisfactorily completed a driver education 
  2-16        course: 
 
  2-17          (i) Approved by the department and in a driver 
  2-18          training school and under the instruction of a 
  2-19          driver training instructor licensed by the 
  2-20          department under Chapter 13 of Title 43, 'The Driver 
  2-21          Training School License Act'; or 
 
  2-22          (ii) In a driver education program at a public high 
  2-23          school and under the instruction of a driver 
  2-24          training instructor approved by the Department of 
  2-25          Education for such a program; 
 
  2-26        provided, however, no such evidence of completion of a 
  2-27        driver education course shall be required in the event 
  2-28        the person applying for a Class C or Class M driver's 
  2-29        license possesses a valid regular driver's license 
  2-30        previously issued to such person by the department or 
  2-31        by any other jurisdiction. 
 
  2-32        (B) If a local school system offers a driver education 
  2-33        program at one or more public high schools, it may 
  2-34        offer such program as a summer school program and may 
  2-35        charge an appropriate fee to cover expenses. 
 
  2-36        (C) The commissioner shall by rule or regulation 
  2-37        establish standards for approval of the driver 
  2-38        education course provided by subparagraph (A) of this 
  2-39        paragraph, including without limitation requirements 
  2-40        for course content and duration, fees, attendance, and 
  2-41        examinations, provided that such course shall be 
  2-42        designed to educate young drivers about safe driving 
  2-43        practices and the traffic laws of this state and to 
 
 
                                 -2- 
 
 
 
  3- 1        train young drivers in the safe operation of motor 
  3- 2        vehicles." 
 
  3- 3                           SECTION 2. 
 
  3- 4  This Act shall become effective on July 1, 1999. 
 
  3- 5                           SECTION 3. 
 
  3- 6  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  3- 7  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 -3-