S101

An Act concerning certain driver’s license renewals and amending P.L.1979, c.261.

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

1. Section 1 of P. L.1979, c.261 (C.39:3-10f) is amended to read as follows:

1. In addition to the requirements for the form and content of a motor vehicle driver's license under R.S.39:3-10 and a provisional license issued under section 4 of P.L.1950, c.127 (C.39:3-13.4), on and after the operative date of P.L.2001, c.391 (C.39:3-10f4 et al.), each initial New Jersey license, each renewal of a New Jersey driver's license, and each provisional license shall have a digitized color picture of the licensee. All licenses issued on and after January 1, 2000 shall be valid for a period of 48 calendar months. However, the chief administrator may, at his discretion, issue licenses and endorsements which shall expire on a date fixed by him. The fee for such licenses or endorsements shall be fixed in amounts proportionately less or greater than the fee otherwise established. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, a person 70 years of age or older may elect to have a license issued for a period of two or four years, which election may not be altered by the [director] chief administrator. The fee for the two-year license shall be $9, in addition to the fee for a digitized picture established in section 4 of P.L.2001, c.391 (C.39:3-10f4). The chief administrator may, for good cause extend a license and any endorsement thereon beyond their expiration dates for periods not to exceed 12 additional months. The chief administrator may extend the expiration date of a license and any endorsement thereon without payment of a proportionate fee when the chief administrator determines that such extension is necessary for good cause. If any license and endorsements thereon are so extended, the licensee shall pay upon renewal the full license fee for the period fixed by the chief administrator as if no extension had been granted.

Each initial motor vehicle license issued to a person under the age of 21 after the effective date of P.L.1999, c.28 shall be conspicuously distinct, through the use of color and design, from the driver's licenses issued to persons 21 years of age or older. The chief administrator, in consultation with the Superintendent of State Police, shall determine the color and the manner in which the license is designed to achieve this result. The license shall also bear the words "UNDER 21" in a conspicuous manner. The chief administrator shall provide that upon attaining the age of 21, a licensee shall be issued a replacement driver's license or a new license, as appropriate. The fee for a replacement license shall be $5 in addition to the digitized picture fee.

As conditions for the renewal of a driver's license, the chief administrator shall provide that the picture of a licensee be updated except that the chief administrator may elect to use a stored picture to renew a license for a period not exceeding four additional years for $18 in addition to the digitized picture fee.

Whenever a person has reconstructive or cosmetic surgery which significantly alters the person's facial features, the person shall notify the chief administrator who may require the picture of the licensee to be updated, for $5 in addition to the digitized picture fee.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or change any expiration date on any New Jersey driver's 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, that license shall remain valid until that expiration date.

Specific use of the driver's license and any information stored or encoded, electronically or otherwise, in relation thereto shall be in accordance with P.L.1997, c.188 (C.39:2-3.3 et seq.) and the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994, Pub. L.103-322. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, the digitized picture or any access thereto or any use thereof shall not be sold, leased or exchanged for value.

The chief administrator shall not request from a person, more than one time in every sixteen years, as a condition of renewing the person’s driver’s license, any information or proof of information that is already stored or encoded, electronically or otherwise by the commission, provided that the chief administrator may condition renewal of a person’s driver’s license on a person’s production of one of the following documents: (1) the person’s United States passport; (2) the person’s current State digital driver’s license; or (3) the person’s State issued digital driver’s license that has been valid at any point within the immediately preceding three years.

To replace a photo-license issued prior to the effective date of this act for a licensee who is temporarily out of this State, the chief administrator may issue a "valid without picture" picture license for the unexpired term of the license.

(cf: P.L.2003, c.204, s.1)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would provide that persons renewing a driver’s license would only be required to produce one form of picture identification approved by the chief administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, if the commission already has the person’s other required information stored electronically or otherwise. The bill would however, allow the commissioner to request additional information and documents one time in every sixteen years. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission currently requires persons to produce a combination of documents for license renewal. The hundreds of accepted documents currently required for a license renewal are assigned varying values under a point system, and a person is required to present the documents that have a combined value of six points.