Nevada AB 116
The Nevada Assembly approved legislation to decriminalize minor traffic violations and end the practice of issuing warrants when an individual can’t afford to pay the fines and fees imposed. You …
Traffic Fines and Fees
More Harm than Good: Building a more Just Fine and Fee System in California
Fines and fees push many low-income, Black, and Latinx California families into debt, cutting into their ability to meet basic needs. Researchers estimate that there is at least $10 billion …
The High Price of Using Justice Fines and Fees to Fund Government in Washington State
Fines and fees can cause severe and destabilizing harm for people required to pay them. Researchers from the Vera Institute of Justice collected and analyzed budget data from state, county, city and …
Traffic Without the Police
Traffic enforcement and policing have become intertwined as a gateway for funneling overpoliced and marginalized communities into the criminal justice system. This article explores a new legal framework that decouples …
Washington SB 5226: An Act Relating to the suspension of licenses for traffic infractions
Washington recently passed a bill ending driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay a monetary penalty, fee, cost, assessment, or other monetary obligation relating to a non criminal traffic infraction. You …
An Analysis of Citation Data from the City of Buffalo Speed Camera Program
In 2020, the City of Buffalo installed speed cameras in school zones around the city to reduce the number of crashes in areas where children are going to and from …
Reducing Suspended Drivers and Alternative Reinstatement Best Practices Edition 3
At its inception, driver’s license suspension aimed to address poor driving behavior. However, its current use extends beyond highway safety concerns and encompasses non-highway safety obligations. Drivers can have their …
AR SB513
The Arkansas legislature passed a bill eliminating driver’s license suspension for failure to pay fines in noncriminal traffic infractions. The bill permits driver’s license suspension for failure to appear at a hearing to …
IN HB 1199: An act to amend the Indiana Code concerning motor vehicles
Indiana recently passed a bill ending driver’s licenses suspension for failure to appear. The bill continues to permit suspensions for failure to pay, but upon a showing of proof of financial responsibility, …
Reckless Lawmaking: How Debt-Based Driver’s License Suspension Laws Impose Harm and Waste Resources
This report examines the impacts of suspending driver’s licenses as a consequence of unpaid fines and fees and failure to appear in court. 16 individuals who had their license suspended …