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Arizona Ends License Suspensions For Drivers Who Don't Pay Civil Fines

By Autriya Maneshni
Published: Saturday, April 17, 2021 - 3:30pm
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About 31,000 Arizonans with suspended licenses will get their driving privileges back soon. Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed a bill to end license suspensions if a driver fails to pay a civil fine.

Drivers are still responsible to pay back their fines, but the court will collect the money through other programs that don’t involve license suspension.

The Arizona House and Senate passed Senate Bill 1551 with unanimous support. 

“I’ve always been passionate about just making sure that there [are] no barriers for individuals who are trying to get to work and just make a living and support their families," said Sen. Paul Boyer, the bill's primary sponsor. 

The law also allows judges to waive or mitigate mandatory fines if the penalty is deemed by a judge as an undue hardship on the person responsible for the violation. However, judges may not mitigate fines related to driving under the influence.

Politics