§8. Final delinquent debt; office of motor vehicles; temporary waivers and holds
A. For purposes of this Section, the following words shall have the following
meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) "Debt" means any legally collectible liquidated sum due and owed to the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles, pursuant to R.S.
32:57.1, 863, or 863.1.
(2) "Delinquent debt" means a debt that is one hundred eighty days or more past due.
(3) "Final debt" means that the debtor has no further right of administrative and
judicial review regarding the amount.
(4) "Office of motor vehicles" means the Department of Public Safety and
Corrections, office of motor vehicles.
B. The office of motor vehicles may refer a final delinquent debt for which a debtor
has not entered into an installment agreement for payment to the office of debt recovery as
provided in R.S. 47:1676, except for debts incurred pursuant to R.S. 32:863(A)(3)(a). Final
delinquent debt referrals shall include data and information in the required format necessary
to institute collection procedures. All delinquent debts shall be authenticated by the office
of motor vehicles prior to being referred to the office of debt recovery. Once the delinquent
debt becomes final and prior to referral to the office of debt recovery, the office of motor
vehicles shall notify the debtor in writing that failure to pay the debt in full within sixty days
shall subject the debt to the amount owed, as specified in R.S. 32:57.1(B), 863(A)(3)(a), and
863.1, together with the additional fee collected by the office of debt recovery provided for
in R.S. 47:1676. Such notice shall also inform the debtor that the debtor may qualify to pay
sums due by installment agreement, if eligible, and shall include instructions on how to
inquire with the office of motor vehicles to determine eligibility and terms.
C. The office of motor vehicles may promulgate rules and regulations in accordance
with the Administrative Procedure Act necessary to implement the provisions of this Section,
including rules for referring final delinquent debt.
D. The office of motor vehicles, through the commissioner, may compromise and
settle all debt, whether such debt is delinquent debt, final debt, or a debt that has been
referred to the office of debt recovery as a final delinquent debt to avoid litigation and further
collection expenses of the state upon satisfactory showing of substantial compliance with the
law and determination that no fee or lesser fee is due.
E.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the commissioner,
or his designee, shall have emergency authority to temporarily suspend or place on hold, for
a period not to exceed thirty days, any fine, fee, penalty, or license suspension appearing on
a person's driving record when the commissioner determines that such action is necessary to
allow the person immediate access to life-sustaining medicine or medical treatment.
(2) The person or their representative shall provide documentation from a licensed
physician, hospital, hospice, or other home health provider verifying the life-threatening
nature of the condition.
(3) For the purposes of this Subsection, "commissioner" means the commissioner
of the office of motor vehicles.
F. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the hybrid vehicle
road usage fee provided for in R.S. 32:461(A)(2) is hereby suspended for non-plugin hybrids
until August 1, 2027. Failure by any person to pay such fee shall not be considered debt that
may be collected pursuant to this Section or any other applicable collection authority.
Acts 2015, No. 414, §1; Acts 2016, 1st E.S., No. 11, §1, eff. March 9, 2016; Acts
2016, No. 397, §1, eff. June 8, 2016; Acts 2024, No. 629, §1, eff. June 11, 2024; Acts 2026,
No. 952, §1; Acts 2026, No. 966, §1, eff. June 25, 2026.