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Virginia's DMV Announces New Virginia Laws Effective July

Fee for Failure to Keep Scheduled CDL Test Appointment

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will charge a $50 fee to applicants who fail to show up after scheduling a commercial driver's license (CDL) skills test. The new law is aimed at reducing the number of testing applicants who make appointments with commercial driver's license examiners, then miss that appointment without notice. A recent review of commercial driver's license appointments indicates a "no show" rate of 36 percent.

DMV encourages applicants to advise test examiners in advance if they are unable to keep an appointment. If applicants do not contact an examiner, DMV will bill the customer for the $50 fee. If the bill isn't paid after 31 days, the agency will add an additional $10 administrative fee. Any unpaid bills after that period will be subject to further collection efforts and may be reported to the Virginia Department of Taxation. No DMV-related transactions will be allowed until the "no show" fee is paid.

Abusive Driver Fees for Serious Driving Violation Convictions and Demerit Points

Abusive driver fees are one component of the comprehensive transportation and land use legislative compromise enacted earlier this year. Abusive driver fees have been under consideration by the General Assembly for three years. The goal of the fee is to promote traffic safety and other states who have adopted similar programs have seen improvements in overall driver safety.

Convictions-Related Fees

Drivers convicted of serious traffic offenses will be charged conviction-related abusive driver fees. These fees do not apply to the typical traffic violation such as failure to yield, or parking too near a fire hydrant, for example. Abusive driver fees will only apply when the person is convicted of reckless driving, driving on a suspended or revoked license, driving under the influence, or other serious traffic offenses that occur after July 1, 2007. The fees can be paid in installments over three years. The fees are based on the following schedule:

Demerit Point Fees

Drivers who accumulate 8 or more demerit points will be charged demerit-point-related abusive driver fees. These fees can not be imposed for demerit points related to offenses committed prior to July 1, 2007. No single traffic violation results in 8 demerits points and a person has the option of attending a driver improvement clinic to reduce the points on their record. Bad drivers who accumulate and keep 8 or more demerit points will be charged $100 and will be charged an additional $75 for each demerit point over eight up to a maximum of $700.

Vehicle Registration Fees

Registration fees for passenger vehicles and pick up trucks will increase $10 statewide. The increases are part of a wide-ranging transportation funding law passed by this year's General Assembly.

For most Virginians, the standard passenger vehicle registration will increase from $29.50 annually to $39.50 annually. Passenger vehicles weighing more than four thousand pounds will see a registration increase from $34.50 to $44.50. There are also several increases in registration fees for pick-up trucks and trailers, depending on weight. More fee information is available at www.dmvNOW.com.

Antique License Plates and Special Plates

Virginia motorists who own antique vehicles should be aware of several changes governing the use of antique license plates.

Applicants for antique license plates must show evidence of ownership or regular use of another passenger car or motorcycle.

Applicants must submit notarized certification that their antique vehicle meets safety equipment requirements for the model year in which it was manufactured.

Fees charged for registration and plate purchase changes from $10 annually to a one-time fee of $50.

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