Starting in January of 2017, municipal court officials will be required to do things a little differently. Specifically, Uniform Traffic Ticket submission procedures are getting a digital twist.
Why the change?
In January of 2015, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration notified the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the SC Department of Motor Vehicles of a change in federal law (Section 32301 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act) that requires that South Carolina comply with federal regulation 49 CFR 384.401 by September 30, 2015. This regulation says traffic conviction data must be sent to the state in which a commercial driver’s license holder is licensed within 10 days of the conviction. A state is in compliance if it meets the 10-day requirement 90 percent of the time.
Did South Carolina miss the deadline?
No. South Carolina received a grace period with a full implementation target date of January 1, 2018.
What happens if South Carolina doesn’t comply?
South Carolina could lose $24 million in federal road funding the first year, $48 million the following year, and possibly impact its ability to issue and maintain commercial driver’s license credentials.
What is the state and local piece of this?
Section 32301 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act prompted the state General Assembly to pass Act 185, which directs cities and towns to pick one of three ways to report tickets electronically.
The new state law goes into effect January 1, 2017 and says state and local law enforcement agencies must forward citations to the appropriate court and the DMV within three business days of the date an offender is ticketed. After the final trial court action, the appropriate court must forward disposition information electronically to the DMV within five business days of the trial date.
How this will work?
After a law enforcement officer writes a citation, the officer will give the offender a printed copy by using an in-car data terminal, handheld device, or pen and pad, depending on the department’s normal method. The issuing agency will then upload the citation information via one of three methods: software provided by a vendor of choice, the DMV’s web-based portal, or the South Carolina Collision and Ticket Tracking System.
Once the citation is submitted, the information on the ticket will automatically populate into a driver’s record. The automation will help South Carolina meet standards set in the new federal regulation.