SB259 Alabama 2016 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Linda Coleman-MadisonSenator
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2016
Title: Motor vehicles, courts required to forward certain traffic offenses to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, penalties for specified traffic offenses at railroad highway crossing grades revised, time frame for reporting nonresident commercial traffic violations, reduced, Secs. 32-5A-195, 32-5A-304, 32-6-49.11, 32-6-49.14 am'd.
Summary: SB259 tightens reporting timelines, revises penalties for railroad-highway crossing offenses by commercial drivers, and requires faster sharing of DUI and conviction information for commercial licenses.
What This Bill Does
It shortens the time courts must forward conviction records to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to 5 days. It revises penalties for commercial drivers convicted of railroad-highway grade crossing offenses, establishing specific disqualification periods (60 days for a first offense, 120 days for two convictions in 3 years, and 1 year for three or more in 3 years), with longer penalties if hazardous materials are involved. It reduces the time ALEA must notify the licensing authority in the other state for nonresident commercial vehicle offenses, requiring notice within 5 days. It also requires that DUI arrest information stay on the driving record of commercial license holders, CDL learners, or anyone operating a commercial vehicle.

Who It Affects
Commercial drivers, including CDL holders, CDL learners, and nonresident commercial drivers, who would face revised penalties for railroad-highway crossing offenses and have DUI arrests retained on their driving records.
Courts, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and other states' driver licensing authorities, which must exchange conviction and suspension information more quickly and consistently.

Key Provisions
32-5A-195 amendments: Courts must forward conviction records to ALEA within 5 days; ALEA may forward certified records to the driver's state of residence for nonresident convictions; nonresident driving privileges may be suspended or revoked with forwarding of the records to the state of residence; surrender of license when mandatory revocation is required; and related reporting and record-sharing provisions.
32-5A-304 amendments: Establishes a schedule for driving privilege suspensions based on prior alcohol/drug enforcement contacts (including suspensions, refusals to submit to chemical tests, and DUIs), with periods from 90 days up to 5 years, and provisions for time-served credits and cross-state reporting.
32-6-49.11 amendments: Disqualification rules for commercial drivers convicted of DUI or related offenses (including 0.04 BAC), with minimum one-year suspensions for first offenses (hazmat or other factors can extend to longer periods or life for repeated offenses), and specific disqualification durations for railroad-highway grade crossing violations (60 days for a first offense, 120 days for two convictions in 3 years, 1 year for three or more within 3 years).
32-6-49.14 amendments: Requires the department to notify the licensing authority in the other state within 5 days after receiving a conviction report for a nonresident CDL holder.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Motor Vehicles