GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2013

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 628

Short Title:        DMV Block Registration/Unpaid Parking Fines.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Wade, Tillman, and Barringer (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:	Transportation.

April 4, 2013

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to authorize the division of motor vehicles to refuse registration or issuance of a certificate of title or any transfer of registration if a city has notified the division of motor vehicles that the owner of the motor vehicle has unpaid parking fines or penalties.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 20-54 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

"§ 20-54.  Authority for refusing registration or certificate of title.

The Division shall refuse registration or issuance of a certificate of title or any transfer of registration upon any of the following grounds:

…

(11) A city has notified the Division pursuant to G.S. 160A-301(f) that the owner of the vehicle has not paid the amount of fines or penalties imposed upon the owner for committing a parking violation."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 160A-301 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(f) A city may notify the Division of Motor Vehicles that a person has failed to pay any fine or penalty imposed for a violation of an ordinance adopted pursuant to this section. Upon receiving notice from the city and pursuant to G.S. 20-54, the Division shall refuse registration or issuance of a certificate of title or any transfer of registration for a motor vehicle owned by the person who failed to pay the fine or penalty. The Division of Motor Vehicles shall continue to refuse registration or issuance of a certificate of title or any transfer of registration until the city notifies the Division of Motor Vehicles that the person has (i) demonstrated to the city that he or she is not the person charged with the offense in which the fine was imposed, (ii) paid the fine or penalty owed to the city, or (iii) demonstrated to the city that his or her failure to pay the fine or penalty was not willful and that he or she is making a good faith effort to pay the fine or penalty. The provisions of this subsection shall be in addition to any other actions a city may take to enforce the payment of any fine or penalty imposed for a violation of an ordinance adopted pursuant to this section."

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2013, and applies to any fines or penalties imposed on or after that date.