SB38 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Hank Sanders

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Traffic violations, court authorized to order deferred payments or installments to pay fines or costs, court prohibited from suspending or revoking driver's license if violator making payments

Summary

SB38 would require courts to offer deferred payments or community service for traffic fines if the defendant cannot pay within 30 days, and would protect drivers from license suspension when they are paying or performing service, including protections against suspension for failure to appear.

What This Bill Does

If someone is convicted of a traffic violation and can’t pay within 30 days, the court must order a deferred payment, installments, or community service to satisfy the debt. The court can set up the terms and may charge a small management fee; the defendant must keep the court informed of address changes. If the defendant is making timely payments or doing community service, their driver's license cannot be suspended or revoked. The law also bars license suspension or revocation solely for failure to appear in a traffic case, and it becomes effective a few months after the governor signs it into law.

Who It Affects

• Defendants convicted of traffic violations who cannot pay fines, penalties, or costs within 30 days; they would be placed on a deferred payment plan, installments, or required to perform community service.
• Drivers whose licenses could be suspended or revoked for nonpayment or failure to appear; they would receive protection from suspension as long as they are making timely payments or performing the required community service, and suspensions would not be based solely on failure to appear.

Key Provisions

• Section 1(a): When a traffi c defendant cannot pay within 30 days, the court must order payment by deferred installments or through community service; the court may let the clerk manage the terms and may require the defendant to inform the court of address changes; a one-time fee up to $10 may be charged to cover account management.
• Section 1(b): If the defendant is making timely payments or performing community service, the defendant's driver's license may not be suspended or revoked.
• Section 2: A defendant's license may not be suspended or revoked solely for the grounds of failure to appear in connection with a traffic violation.
• Section 3: The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

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

Subjects

Licenses and Licensing