House Bill 597 Summary

• Amends Idaho Code Section 49-328 to prohibit suspending driver's licenses for failure to pay infraction penalties and reinstates all licenses suspended prior to July 1, 2018 for this reason without charge.

• Creates new Section 49-1505 allowing courts to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles when a driver fails to pay a traffic infraction penalty, triggering immediate license suspension.

• Permits license reinstatement only upon proof of payment of the infraction penalty to the court, with no temporary restricted permit issued during suspension.

• Exempts courts from sending nonpayment notices to the Department if the person has a complete and continuing financial inability to pay the penalty.

• Allows drivers to appeal license suspensions to district court within the time and manner provided for criminal appeals from magistrate division, with expedited proceedings.

• Effective July 1, 2022, with emergency clause declared.