S3183

An Act concerning commercial driver licenses and amending P.L.1990, c.103.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 22 of P.L.1990, c.103 (C.39:3-10.30) is amended to read as follows:

22. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S.39:3-14 or any other sections of law which permit or require the issuance of a driver's license without charge, the required fee for a commercial driver license examination or learner's permit shall be $35. A permit issued before April 1, 1992 shall be valid for a period of two years from the date of issuance, unless another time period is established for such permits in federal regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation. The permit holder shall have unlimited testing opportunities consistent with the scheduling obligations of the [Division of Motor Vehicles] Motor Vehicle Commission and the need to provide testing opportunities to all persons affected by this act. For an examination or learner's permit issued on or after April 1, 1992, the [director] chief administrator may limit the permit's validity to a specific length of time or number of testing opportunities.

After the issuance of a commercial driver license, the examination or learner's permit fee for an additional endorsement or license class shall be $10 per endorsement or class.

In addition to fees for a basic driver license and any non-commercial endorsement and renewals thereof, the required fee for a 48-month licensing period shall be $18 for each commercial driver license and renewal thereof and $2 for each endorsement and renewal thereof. In addition, the [director] chief administrator shall charge a fee of $6 for a digitized picture of the licensee.

The commercial driver license shall expire on the last day of the 48th calendar month following the calendar month in which the license was issued. However, the [director] chief administrator may, at [his] the chief administrator’s discretion, issue licenses and endorsements which shall expire on a date fixed by [him] the chief administrator. The fee for such licenses or endorsements shall be fixed in amounts proportionately less or greater than the fee otherwise established.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or change any expiration date on any New Jersey commercial driver license issued prior to the operative date of P.L.2001, c.391 (C.39:3-10f4 et al.) and, unless a licensee's driving privileges are otherwise suspended or revoked, except as provided in R.S.39:3-10, the license shall remain valid until its expiration date.

The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall not charge a transfer or licensing fee to a veteran or the veteran’s spouse for the transfer of a commercial driver license from the state in which the veteran or the veteran’s spouse was previously domiciled.

As used in this section, “veteran” means a person who received an honorable discharge from a branch of the active or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state.

(cf: P.L.2001, c.391, s.6)

2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill waives certain commercial driver license fees for a veteran and the veteran’s spouse. Specifically, under the provisions of this bill, a veteran or the veteran’s spouse would not be charged a fee for transferring a commercial driver license from the state in which the veteran or his or her spouse previously resided.

The bill defines “veteran” as a person who received an honorable discharge from a branch of the active or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state.