§17C-5A-2a. Assessment of costs; special account created.
The Division of Motor Vehicles is hereby authorized and required to assess witness costs at the same rate as witness fees in circuit court and a docket fee of $15 for each hearing request against any person filing a request for a hearing under section two of this article who fails to appear, fails to have said order rescinded or fails to have said order modified to a lesser period of revocation. The Division of Motor Vehicles may adjust this fee every five years on September 1, based on the U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics most current Consumer Price Index: Provided, That an increase in such fee may not exceed ten percent of the total fee amount in a single year.
All fees and costs collected hereunder shall be paid into a special revenue account in the State Treasury: Provided, That on and after July 1, 2007, any unexpended balance remaining in the special revolving fund shall be transferred to the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund created under the provisions of section twenty-one, article two, chapter seventeen-a of this code and all further fees and costs collected shall be deposited in that fund. A portion of the funds in the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund may be used to pay or reimburse the various law-enforcement agencies at the same rate as witnesses in circuit court for the travel and appearance of its officers before the commissioner or authorized deputy or agent pursuant to a hearing request under the provisions of this article. The department shall authorize payment to the law-enforcement agencies from said account as the fees for a particular hearing request are received from the person against whom the costs were assessed. The department shall authorize transfer to an appropriate agency account from the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund to pay costs of registered and certified mailings and other expenses associated with the conduct of hearings under this article as the docket fee for a particular hearing request is received from the person against whom the costs were assessed.
In the event judicial review results in said order being rescinded or modified to a lesser period of revocation the costs assessed shall be discharged.
The provisions of this section enacted in 2017 take effect on July 1, 2017.
