HB29 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Allen TreadawayRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to motor vehicles; to prohibit certain motor vehicle speed contests, motor vehicle exhibitions of speed, and motor vehicle sideshows; to provide criminal penalties for a violation; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Section 111.05 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.

Summary

HB29 creates new criminal prohibitions on motor vehicle speed contests, exhibitions of speed, sideshows, burnouts and donuts, with penalties and enforcement tools.

What This Bill Does

It defines terms like burnout, donut, speed contest, exhibition of speed, and sideshow, and prohibits engaging in these activities on public roads or off-street parking facilities without the property owner’s consent. It sets penalties: first offense is a Class C misdemeanor, with a possible driving ban; repeat offenses can be Class B misdemeanors and may include longer driving bans. It adds enhanced penalties if the activity causes injury or death, including felonies and longer driving prohibitions. It provides enforcement tools such as towing, impounding, liens, and potential seizure after multiple offenses, and clarifies exemptions for private speedways or private land with owner permission; it also addresses costs for housing inmates and local funding considerations, and establishes an effective date.

Who It Affects

• Drivers and participants in motor vehicle speed contests, exhibitions of speed, sideshows, burnouts, and donuts (facing criminal charges, potential jail time, fines, and driving bans).
• Property owners, law enforcement, and local government entities (enforcement authority, impoundment/towing procedures, cost recovery for housing offenders, and the requirement that activities on private property require the owner’s consent).

Key Provisions

• Definitions of burnout, donut, motor vehicle speed contest, motor vehicle exhibition of speed, motor vehicle sideshow, and off-street parking facility.
• Prohibition of engaging in speed contests, exhibitions of speed, sideshows, burnouts, donuts, or reckless driving on public roads/highways or off-street facilities without the property owner’s consent; exemptions for private speedways or owner-authorized private land.
• Criminal penalties: first violation is a Class C misdemeanor; subsequent violations are Class B misdemeanors; courts may prohibit driving on public highways for up to six months.
• Enhanced penalties for crashes: bodily injury yields a Class A misdemeanor with a six-month driving ban; serious physical injury yields a Class C felony with a two-year driving ban; death yields a Class B felony with at least a two-year driving ban.
• Enforcement and enforcement tools: mandatory towing/impoundment for at least 48 hours, storage liens, notice and procedures for sale, and potential seizure/forfeiture after three or more violations; cost-sharing requirements between municipalities and counties for housing inmates if applicable.
• Administrative and operational provisions: vehicle owner can contest seizure; license suspension or restriction can be ordered and must be reported to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency; local funding/111.05-related provisions explain the bill’s status as a crime-defining measure rather than a general funding requirement.
• Effective date: the act takes effect on the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Motor vehicles; speed contests and exhibitions of speed, prohibited; criminal penalties, provided