Minnesota HF 3356: Public safety commissioner’s authority to suspend drivers’ licenses modified, retroactive driver’s license reinstatement provided, and technical changes made.

This bill would prohibit the suspension of driver’s licenses for nonpayment of fines and fees, provide for retroactive driver’s license reinstatement, and make a number of technical changes to relevant traffic enforcement activities.

This bill was introduced as part of a legislative package that included HF 3357 and HF 3358. You can read the full text of HF 3356 here.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits the suspension of a driver’s license based solely on the fact that a person has failed to appear in court on a citation for a petty misdemeanor, parking or traffic violation or a citation for Driving after Suspension.
• Prohibits the suspension of a driver’s license based solely on the fact that a person is convicted of Driving after Suspension (DAS) or Driving after Revocation (DAR).
• Prohibits the suspension of a driver’s license based solely on the fact that a person has failed to pay the fine or surcharge on a parking or traffic ticket.
• Makes a driver’s license that is currently suspended only for failure to pay a traffic or parking ticket or for a conviction for DAS or DAR for reinstatement and requires the Dept. of Public Safety to notify those individuals whose license has become eligible for reinstatement under this section. Individuals would still be required to pay a fee ($20 for a suspended license and $30 for a revoked license) for their license to be reinstated.