| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to driver licenses; amending s. 322.18, |
| 3 | F.S.; eliminating an age requirement relating to vision |
| 4 | tests; requiring a vision test for all renewals of a |
| 5 | license; providing for submission of test results by a |
| 6 | physician, ophthalmologist, or optometrist; requiring such |
| 7 | submission prior to a licensee using certain renewal |
| 8 | procedures; limiting the duration of licenses issued to |
| 9 | applicants in specified age ranges; amending s. 322.21, |
| 10 | F.S.; providing a schedule of reduced renewal fees for |
| 11 | persons who must renew specified licenses more frequently |
| 12 | due to their age; providing an effective date. |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Section 1. Subsections (2) and (5) of section 322.18, |
| 17 | Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (10) is added to |
| 18 | that section, to read: |
| 19 | 322.18 Original applications, licenses, and renewals; |
| 20 | expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.-- |
| 21 | (2) Except as limited by subsection (10), each applicant |
| 22 | who is entitled to the issuance of a driver's license, as |
| 23 | provided in this section, shall be issued a driver's license, as |
| 24 | follows: |
| 25 | (a) An applicant applying for an original issuance shall |
| 26 | be issued a driver's license which expires at midnight on the |
| 27 | licensee's birthday which next occurs on or after the sixth |
| 28 | anniversary of the date of issue. |
| 29 | (b) An applicant applying for a renewal issuance or |
| 30 | renewal extension shall be issued a driver's license or renewal |
| 31 | extension sticker which expires at midnight on the licensee's |
| 32 | birthday which next occurs 4 years after the month of expiration |
| 33 | of the license being renewed, except that a driver whose driving |
| 34 | record reflects no convictions for the preceding 3 years shall |
| 35 | be issued a driver's license or renewal extension sticker which |
| 36 | expires at midnight on the licensee's birthday which next occurs |
| 37 | 6 years after the month of expiration of the license being |
| 38 | renewed. |
| 39 | (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, |
| 40 | if an applicant establishes his or her identity for a driver's |
| 41 | license using a document authorized under s. 322.08(2)(c)5., the |
| 42 | driver's license shall expire in accordance with paragraph (b). |
| 43 | After an initial showing of such documentation, he or she is |
| 44 | exempted from having to renew or obtain a duplicate in person. |
| 45 | (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, |
| 46 | if an applicant establishes his or her identity for a driver's |
| 47 | license using a document authorized in s. 322.08(2)(c)6. or 7., |
| 48 | the driver's license shall expire 2 years after the date of |
| 49 | issuance or upon the expiration date cited on the United States |
| 50 | Department of Homeland Security documents, whichever date first |
| 51 | occurs. |
| 52 | (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, |
| 53 | an applicant applying for an original or renewal issuance of a |
| 54 | commercial driver's license as defined in s. 322.01(7), with a |
| 55 | hazardous-materials endorsement, pursuant to s. 322.57(1)(e), |
| 56 | shall be issued a driver's license that expires at midnight on |
| 57 | the licensee's birthday that next occurs 4 years after the month |
| 58 | of expiration of the license being issued or renewed. |
| 59 | (5) All renewal driver's licenses may be issued after the |
| 60 | applicant licensee has been determined to be eligible by the |
| 61 | department. |
| 62 | (a) A licensee who is otherwise eligible for renewal and |
| 63 | who is over 79 years of age: |
| 64 | 1. Must submit to and pass a vision test administered at |
| 65 | any driver's license office; or |
| 66 | 2. Must, if the licensee applies for an extension by mail |
| 67 | as provided in subsection (8), must submit to a vision test |
| 68 | administered by a physician or ophthalmologist licensed under |
| 69 | chapter 458 or chapter 459, or an optometrist licensed under |
| 70 | chapter 463, no more than 6 months prior to the date of the |
| 71 | application for extension, must send the results of that test to |
| 72 | the department on a form obtained from the department and signed |
| 73 | by such health care practitioner, and must meet vision standards |
| 74 | that are equivalent to the standards for passing the |
| 75 | departmental vision test. The physician, ophthalmologist, or |
| 76 | optometrist may submit the results of a vision test by a |
| 77 | department-approved electronic means. |
| 78 | (b) A licensee who is over 79 years of age may not submit |
| 79 | an application for extension under subsection (8) by electronic |
| 80 | or telephonic means, unless the results of a vision test have |
| 81 | been electronically submitted in advance by the physician, |
| 82 | ophthalmologist, or optometrist. |
| 83 | (10) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, |
| 84 | an applicant 70 years of age or older on the date of application |
| 85 | shall receive the original issuance or renewal to which he or |
| 86 | she is otherwise entitled, but for no longer than the duration |
| 87 | provided in this paragraph. The duration of a license issued to |
| 88 | an applicant whose age is within any of the following ranges |
| 89 | shall be as follows: |
| 90 | (a) At least 70 but less than 80 years old 3 years. |
| 91 | (b) At least 80 but less than 90 years old 2 years. |
| 92 | (c) At least 90 years old 1 year. |
| 93 | Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section |
| 94 | 322.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 95 | 322.21 License fees; procedure for handling and collecting |
| 96 | fees.-- |
| 97 | (1) Except as otherwise provided herein, the fee for: |
| 98 | (c) The renewal or extension of a Class E driver's license |
| 99 | or of a license restricted to motorcycle use only is based on |
| 100 | the duration of the license, as provided in s. 322.18(2) and |
| 101 | (10), as follows: |
| 102 | 1. Four or 6 years $15. |
| 103 | 2. Three years $7.50. |
| 104 | 3. Two years $5. |
| 105 | 4. One year $2.50. |
| 106 |
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| 107 | $15, except that A delinquent fee of $1 shall be added for a |
| 108 | renewal or extension made not more than 12 months after the |
| 109 | license expiration date. The fee provided in this paragraph |
| 110 | shall include the fee for driver's education provided by s. |
| 111 | 1003.48. |
| 112 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |