1     
TRAFFIC VIOLATION EXEMPTIONS

2     
2023 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Stephanie Gricius

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Senate Sponsor: Daniel McCay

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7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill provides an exemption to a person who has received a citation related to a
10     motor vehicle if the person provides evidence that the person was not the owner of the
11     relevant vehicle at the time of the alleged violation.
12     Highlighted Provisions:
13          This bill:
14          ▸     provides an exemption to a person who has received a citation related to a motor
15     vehicle if the person provides evidence that the person was not the owner of the
16     relevant vehicle at the time of the alleged violation; and
17          ▸     allows a person to provide a bill of sale to the court clerk as evidence that the person
18     was not the owner of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation.
19     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20          None
21     Other Special Clauses:
22          None
23     Utah Code Sections Affected:
24     AMENDS:
25          41-6a-202, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2015, Chapter 412
26     

27     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:

28          Section 1. Section 41-6a-202 is amended to read:
29          41-6a-202. Violations of chapter -- Penalties -- Acceptance of plea of guilty.
30          (1) As used in this section, "serious bodily injury" is as defined in Section 41-6a-401.3.
31          (2) A violation of any provision of this chapter is an infraction, unless otherwise
32     provided.
33          (3) A violation of any provision of Part 2, Applicability and Obedience to Traffic
34     Laws, Part 11, Bicycles and Other Vehicles, Regulation of Operation, Part 17, Miscellaneous
35     Rules, and Part 18, Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Usage Act, of this chapter is an infraction,
36     unless otherwise provided.
37          (4) (a) If a person has received a citation for a moving traffic violation under this
38     chapter that resulted in a collision and any person involved in the collision sustained serious
39     bodily injury or death as a proximate result of the collision, a court may not accept a plea of
40     guilty or no contest to a charge for the moving traffic violation unless the prosecutor agrees to
41     the plea:
42          (i) in open court;
43          (ii) in writing; or
44          (iii) by another means of communication which the court finds adequate to record the
45     prosecutor's agreement.
46          (b) A peace officer that issues a citation for a moving traffic violation under this
47     chapter shall record on the citation whether the moving traffic violation resulted in a collision
48     in which any person involved in the collision sustained serious bodily injury or death as a
49     proximate result of the traffic collision.
50          (5) (a) If a person receives a citation for a violation described in Subsection (5)(b), the
51     person is not guilty of an infraction and is not required to pay a fee or fine if the person
52     presents to the court clerk evidence that the person did not own the vehicle at the time of the
53     alleged violation.
54          (b) Subsection (5)(a) applies to a person accused of a violation under this chapter or a
55     violation of a traffic ordinance of a political subdivision for which the sole method of
56     identifying the person alleged to be responsible for the violation is through registration or title
57     records of the Division of Motor Vehicles.
58          (c) The court shall consider a bill of sale for the vehicle in question as evidence

59     described in Subsection (5)(a) if the bill of sale:
60          (i) is executed by both the buyer and the seller; and
61          (ii) indicates that the vehicle was sold on a date before the date of the citation
62     described in Subsection (5)(a).