HB33 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ronald BoltonRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Driver licenses and learner permits; age in which the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency may deny an application for failure to meet certain school enrollment and graduation criteria changed, accepted criteria further provided for

Summary

HB33 changes Alabama’s teen driver license rules by removing the mandatory school enrollment requirement and adding approved alternative criteria for eligibility, with new rules about withdrawals, exemptions, and penalties taking effect in 2026.

What This Bill Does

It eliminates the requirement for applicants under the specified age to prove school enrollment or attendance when applying for or renewing a driver license or learner permit. It adds a list of eight alternative criteria that ALEA may consider to determine eligibility, such as nontraditional diploma options, GED, ongoing enrollment with progress and no disciplinary points, job training, employment, parental custody, transportation arrangements, exemptions for certain circumstances, and prior graduation. It sets procedures for school withdrawal and documentation, including a 30-day notice window for license suspension unless compliance documentation is provided, and allows exemptions when withdrawal is due to circumstances beyond the student’s control. It introduces penalties related to possession of a pistol on school property, requires reporting of related juvenile adjudications to ALEA, grants hearing rights, and provides for license reinstatement if convictions are reversed; the act takes effect on August 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Teen drivers (and their families) who would be applying for or renewing driver licenses or learner permits; they may qualify based on alternative criteria rather than school enrollment and could face suspensions if they do not meet any approved criteria.
• School attendance officials and educational agencies (and ALEA); they gain new duties to document enrollment/status, process exemptions, notify ALEA of withdrawals, issue required forms, and enforce the new eligibility and suspension rules.

Key Provisions

• Deletes or removes the strict school enrollment/attendance proof requirement for under-age license applicants and replaces it with a list of approved criteria ALEA may accept to determine eligibility.
• Enumerates eight alternative criteria (e.g., nontraditional diploma options, GED, current enrollment with progress and no disciplinary points, job training, employment, parental custody, transportation certification, and certain exemptions) that can satisfy eligibility.
• Requires attendance officers to document enrollment status and disciplinary points on approved forms and provide them to ALEA when applying for, renewing, reinstating, or replacing a license or permit.
• Provides homelessness-related documentation pathways to obtain license eligibility exemptions and allows certain fee exemptions for homeless students.
• Outlines withdrawal procedures: ALEA must notify licensees of potential suspension within 30 days unless documentation is provided; allows exemptions if withdrawal is beyond the student’s control; designates who decides if withdrawal is beyond control.
• Imposes penalties for possession of a pistol on school premises (180-day denial) and treats juvenile adjudications as convictions for this purpose; includes hearing rights and reinstatement if reversals occur.
• Effective date: August 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Motor Vehicles & Traffic