requiring the division of motor vehicles to extend a fine payment period for certain motor vehicle violations from 30 days to 90 days if the driver requests the extension.

HB 321-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

20Mar2025... 0347h
2025 SESSION
25-0374
11/06

HOUSE BILL
321-FN

AN ACT
requiring the division of motor vehicles to extend a fine payment period for certain motor vehicle violations from 30 days to 90 days if the driver requests the extension.

SPONSORS: Rep. Veilleux, Hills. 34; Rep. Coker, Belk. 2; Rep. Crawford, Carr. 3; Rep. C. McGuire, Merr. 27; Rep. Petrigno, Hills. 43; Rep. Rombeau, Hills. 2; Rep. Telerski, Hills. 11; Sen. Long, Dist 20

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ANALYSIS

This bill allows drivers who plead guilty or nolo contendere to a driving violation on a summons, in lieu of appearing in court, to request an extension of the payment period from 30 days to 90 days from the division of motor vehicles, and request a second extension for 90 days if they cannot make the payment in the first 90 days.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in
bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [
in brackets and struckthrough.
]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
20Mar2025... 0347h 25-0374
11/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT
requiring the division of motor vehicles to extend a fine payment period for certain motor vehicle violations from 30 days to 90 days if the driver requests the extension.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Payment Deadline Extended. Amend RSA 262:44, I to read as follows:
I. Such defendant shall receive, in addition to the summons, a uniform fine schedule entitled "Notice of Fine, Division of Motor Vehicles" which shall contain the normal fines for violations of the provisions of title XXI on vehicles for which a plea may be entered by mail
or online
. The defendant shall be given a notice of fine indicating the amount of the fine plus penalty assessment at the time the summons is issued; except if, for cause, the summoning authority wishes the defendant to appear personally. Defendants summoned to appear personally shall do so on the arraignment date specified in the summons, unless otherwise ordered by the court. Defendants who are issued a summons and notice of fine and who wish to plead guilty or nolo contendere shall
either physically
enter their plea on the summons and return
it in-person or by mail
with payment of the fine plus penalty assessment to the director of the division of motor vehicles
or enter their plea and submit their payment online at the division of motor vehicles website
within
90 days of the date of the summons if the driver has no outstanding motor vehicle violations and no outstanding unpaid fines, or
within 30 days of the date of the summons
if the driver has any outstanding motor vehicle violations or outstanding unpaid fines
. The director of the division of motor vehicles may accept payment of the fine by credit card in lieu of cash payment. Any transaction costs assessed by the issuer of the credit card shall be paid out of the portion of the fine amount which is credited to the highway fund and not out of the penalty assessment charged by the district court. The director of the division of motor vehicles shall remit the penalty assessments collected to the state treasurer to be credited and continually appropriated to the state general fund and to the victims' assistance fund and the judicial branch information technology fund in the percentages and manner prescribed in RSA 106-L:10. Fines shall be paid over to the state treasurer, and shall be credited to the highway fund within 14 days of their receipt.
I-a. A person eligible for a 90-day payment submission period under paragraph I may request one additional 90-day payment extension within the last 30 days of the 90-day payment submission period either in-person, by mail, or online at the division of motor vehicles website. The division shall grant a request made under this paragraph. The division shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A concerning requesting and granting such extension.

LBA
25-0374
5/9/25

HB 321-FN-
FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2025-0347h)

AN ACT
requiring the division of motor vehicles to extend a fine payment period for certain motor vehicle violations from 30 days to 90 days if the driver requests the extension.

FISCAL IMPACT:
This bill does not provide funding.

Estimated State Impact

FY 2025
FY 2026
FY 2027
FY 2028

Revenue
$0
$0
$0
$0

Revenue Fund(s)
None

Expenditures*
$0
$90,000
$0
$0

Funding Source(s)
Restricted - Highway Fund Cost of Collections - Per the state constitution, costs associated with the collection/administration of highway fund revenue by the Department of Safety is deducted prior to funds being credited as unrestricted highway fund revenue

Appropriations*
$0
$0
$0
$0

Funding Source(s)
None

*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

METHODOLOGY:
This bill, effective January 1, 2026, requires the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to extend a fine payment period for certain motor vehicle violations from 30 days to 90 days, if the driver requests such an extension. The Department of Safety states it would need to make changes (development, testing, and implementation support) to DMV software to reflect the changes in this bill, at an estimated one-time cost of $90,000 in FY 2026.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Safety