(a) The Office of Motor Vehicle, upon issuing any driver's license, shall have authority, whenever good cause appears, to impose restrictions suitable to the licensee's driving ability with respect to the type of or special mechanical control devices required on a motor vehicle which the licensee may operate or other restrictions applicable to the licensee as the office may determine to be appropriate to assure the safe operation of a motor vehicle by the licensee.
(b) (1) The office may either issue a special restricted license or may set forth such restrictions upon the usual license form.
(2) (A) The office may, upon showing of need, waive any age restriction set forth in this chapter.
(B) The waiver of the age restrictions for need is subject to review upon a complaint from certain officials under subsection (d) of this section.
(c) All licensees who have a tested uncorrected visual acuity of less than 20/40 shall be restricted to the operation of a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or motor-driven cycle only while they are wearing corrective lenses. No person shall be allowed to operate a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or a motor-driven cycle if he or she has a tested corrected visual acuity of less than 20/50 or if he or she has a field of vision less than one hundred forty degrees (140°) with two (2) functioning eyes or less than one hundred five degrees (105°) with one (1) functioning eye.
(d) (1) The office may, upon receiving satisfactory evidence of any violation of the restrictions of a license, suspend or revoke it, but the licensees shall be entitled to a hearing as upon a suspension or revocation under this chapter.
(2) (A) Upon receiving a complaint from a prosecuting attorney, a city attorney, or a certified law enforcement officer, the office shall review the validity of any waiver of age restrictions based on need and any violations of restrictions placed on a license.
(B) The licensee is entitled to a hearing, which the complaining official may attend, to review the need of the waiver or any violations of the restrictions of the license.
(C) The office shall suspend or revoke the waiver if there is evidence that the need for the waiver has changed or is no longer valid or that the licensee violated any of the restrictions of the license.
(e) It is a misdemeanor for any person to operate a motor vehicle in any manner in violation of the restrictions imposed in a restricted license issued to him or her.
(f) (1) The office shall have authority to issue a restricted driver's license, to be known as a “learner's license”, to those persons under sixteen (16) years of age.
(2) The learner's license shall be issued only to an applicant with a valid instruction permit who is at least fourteen (14) years of age, who has remained free of a serious accident and conviction of a serious traffic violation in the last six (6) months, and who meets all other licensing examinations requirements of this chapter.
(3) The driver with a learner's license shall operate the motor vehicle on the public streets and highways only when:
(A) All passengers in the vehicle are wearing their seat belts at all times; and
(B) The driver with a learner's permit is being accompanied by a driver over twenty-one (21) years of age.
(g) (1) The office shall have authority to issue a restricted driver's license to those persons under eighteen (18) years of age called an intermediate driver's license.
(2) The intermediate driver's license shall be issued only to an applicant with a valid instruction permit or a learner's license who is at least sixteen (16) years of age, who has remained free of a serious accident and conviction of a serious traffic violation for at least the last six (6) months, and who meets all other licensing examination requirements of this chapter.
(3) The driver with an intermediate driver's license shall operate the motor vehicle on the public streets and highways only when all passengers in the vehicle are wearing their seat belts.
(h) No motor vehicle, nor the operator of a vehicle, nor the passengers of the vehicle shall be stopped, inspected, or detained solely to determine compliance with the requirement set out in this subchapter for wearing a seat belt.
History. Acts 1937, No. 280, § 20; Pope's Dig., § 6844; Acts 1969, No. 350, § 1; 1977, No. 863, § 2; A.S.A. 1947, § 75-324; Acts 1989, No. 193, § 4; 1993, No. 445, § 22; 1997, No. 478, § 2; 2001, No. 1694, § 7; 2003, No. 268, §§ 1, 2.
A.C.R.C. Notes. Acts 2001, No. 1694, § 9, provided:
“This act shall be effective July 1, 2002.”
Amendments. The 2001 amendment substituted “Office of Motor Vehicle” for “office” in (a); substituted present (b)(2) for the former, which read: “All licensees under the age of sixteen (16) years shall be restricted to operation of a motor vehicle, motorcycles and motor-driven cycles excepted, only while accompanied by a licensed driver, eighteen (18) years of age or older, who has had at least one (1) year of driving experience, unless otherwise determined by the office”; added (f)-(h); and made gender neutral changes throughout.
The 2003 amendment added (b)(2)(B) and (d)(2).