(a) Any person of whom a driver's license is required, who drives a motor vehicle on a public highway in this state without first having complied with this article or the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten dollars ($10) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100), to be fixed in the discretion of the judge trying the case. In addition to all fines, fees, costs, and punishments prescribed by law, there shall be imposed or assessed an additional penalty of fifty dollars ($50). This additional penalty of fifty dollars ($50) imposed pursuant to this subsection shall be assessed in all criminal and quasi-criminal proceedings in municipal, district, and circuit courts, including, but not limited to, final bond forfeitures, municipal ordinance violations wherein the defendant is adjudged guilty or pleads guilty, and in all juvenile delinquency and youthful offender adjudications.
(b) Any person who willfully makes a false statement under oath in an application for driver's license or for a renewal thereof shall be guilty of perjury and shall be punished as now provided by law.
(c) Any person who willfully conceals or withholds a material fact in an application for a driver's license or renewal thereof with intent to obtain the license by fraud shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), and may be imprisoned at hard labor for the county not to exceed 12 months, to be fixed in the discretion of the court trying the case.
(d) Any person who violates this article for which no fixed punishment is prescribed or who violates any rule or regulation promulgated as herein authorized shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100).
(e) All fines, penalties, or forfeitures imposed pursuant to this article for violations of state law or for juvenile and youthful offender adjudications in district and circuit court shall be forwarded immediately upon collection by the officer of the court who collects the proceeds to the state Comptroller. All moneys received by the state Comptroller shall be deposited into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund except the fifty dollar ($50) penalty which shall be distributed as follows:
(1) Twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be placed in the Traffic Safety Trust Fund.
(2) Twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be placed in the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission Fund.
(f)(1) All fines, penalties, or forfeitures imposed in municipal ordinance cases shall be distributed to the general fund of the respective municipality. All fines, penalties, or forfeitures for municipal ordinance cases tried originally in district and circuit court shall be distributed pursuant to Section 12-19-154.
(2) The additional fifty dollar ($50) penalty shall be forwarded immediately to the state Comptroller to be deposited as follows:
a. Twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be deposited in the Traffic Safety Trust Fund.
b. Twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be deposited in the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission Fund.
(g) If the fifty dollar ($50) penalty required by subsection (a) is not imposed by the court, the clerk of the court shall automatically assess it upon conviction.
Last modified: May 3, 2021