Sec. 8. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2004.

SUMMARY

This bill establishes a novice incentive license for 16- year-olds and 17-year-olds. A novice incentive licensee may not drive between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. without being accompanied by either a parent or legal guardian or a person who meets the requirements for an accompanying operator. The bill provides an exemption to the night incentive hours through a notarized letter to authorize operation during those hours.

This bill also changes the restrictions on who may be an accompanying operator for all categories of licenses that require an accompanying operator by increasing the minimum age of the accompanying operator from 20 years of age to 21 years of age and by requiring that if the accompanying operator is under 25 years of age that person may not have had any moving violations within the preceding year. The bill retains provisions in current law requiring that accompanying operators must occupy the seat beside the driver, must be licensed to operate the class of vehicle operated by the driver and must have held a valid license for the previous 2 years.

This bill also increases from 90 days to 6 months the period of time for which newly licensed persons under 18 years of age must operate under the provisions of an interim license.