2006 Nebraska Revised Statutes - § 60-498.02 — Driving under influence of alcohol; revocation of operator\'s license; reinstatement; procedure; eligibility for employment driving permit and ignition interlock device.

Section 60-498.02
Driving under influence of alcohol; revocation of operator's license; reinstatement; procedure; eligibility for employment driving permit and ignition interlock device.

(1) At the expiration of thirty days after the date of arrest as described in subsection (2) of section 60-6,197 or if after a hearing pursuant to section 60-498.01 the Director of Motor Vehicles finds that the operator's license should be revoked, the director shall (a) revoke the operator's license of a person arrested for refusal to submit to a chemical test of blood, breath, or urine as required by section 60-6,197 for a period of one year and (b) revoke the operator's license of a person who submits to a chemical test pursuant to such section which discloses the presence of a concentration of alcohol specified in section 60-6,196 for a period of ninety days unless the person's driving record abstract maintained in the department's computerized records shows one or more prior administrative license revocations on which final orders have been issued during the immediately preceding twelve-year period at the time the order of revocation is issued, in which case the period of revocation shall be one year. Except as otherwise provided in section 60-6,211.05, a new operator's license shall not be issued to such person until the period of revocation has elapsed. If the person subject to the revocation is a nonresident of this state, the director shall revoke only the nonresident's operating privilege as defined in section 60-474 of such person and shall immediately forward the operator's license and a statement of the order of revocation to the person's state of residence.

(2) At the expiration of thirty days after an order of revocation is entered under subsection (1) of this section, (a) any person whose operator's license has been administratively revoked for a period of ninety days for submitting to a chemical test pursuant to section 60-6,197 which disclosed the presence of a concentration of alcohol in violation of section 60-6,196 may make application to the director for issuance of an employment driving permit pursuant to section 60-4,130 and (b) any person who submitted to a chemical test pursuant to section 60-6,197 and has his or her operator's license revoked for ninety days pursuant to subsection (1) of this section is eligible for an order pursuant to section 60-6,211.05 to operate a motor vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock device upon presentation of sufficient evidence to the Department of Motor Vehicles that such a device is installed.

This subsection shall not apply to nor shall any person be eligible for the benefit of this subsection during any period of time during which his or her operator's license is subject to an administrative revocation order for refusal to submit to a chemical test of blood, breath, or urine as required by section 60-6,197 or is subject to a one-year revocation under subdivision (1)(b) of this section.

(3) A person may have his or her eligibility for a license reinstated upon payment of a reinstatement fee as required by section 60-694.01.

(4)(a) A person whose operator's license is subject to revocation pursuant to subsection (3) of section 60-498.01 shall have all proceedings dismissed or his or her operator's license immediately reinstated without payment of the reinstatement fee upon receipt of suitable evidence by the director that:

(i) Within the thirty-day period following the date of arrest, the prosecuting attorney responsible for the matter declined to file a complaint alleging a violation of section 60-6,196 and notified the director by first-class mail or facsimile transmission of such decision and the director received such notice within such period or the notice was postmarked within such period; or

(ii) The defendant, after trial, was found not guilty of violating section 60-6,196 or such charge was dismissed on the merits by the court.

(b) The director shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations establishing standards for the presentation of suitable evidence of compliance with subdivision (a) of this subsection.

(c) If a charge is filed for a violation of section 60-6,196 pursuant to an arrest for which all proceedings were dismissed under this subsection, the prosecuting attorney shall notify the director by first-class mail or facsimile transmission of the filing of such charge and the director may reinstate an administrative license revocation under this section as of the date that the director receives notification of the filing of the charge, except that a revocation shall not be reinstated if it was dismissed pursuant to section 60-498.01.

Source:

Laws 1972, LB 1095, § 6

C.S.Supp.,1972, § 39-727.17

Laws 1974, LB 679, § 3

Laws 1982, LB 568, § 7

Laws 1986, LB 153, § 8

Laws 1988, LB 377, § 3

Laws 1992, LB 291, § 11

R.S.Supp.,1992, § 39-669.16

Laws 1993, LB 370, § 301

Laws 1993, LB 491, § 1

Laws 1993, LB 564, § 12

Laws 1998, LB 309, § 16

Laws 2001, LB 38, § 52

R.S.Supp.,2002, § 60-6,206

Laws 2003, LB 209, § 5

Laws 2004, LB 208, § 6

Annotations:

Administrative revocation of a driver's license under this section is a civil sanction and does not constitute punishment for purposes of double jeopardy. State v. Isham, 261 Neb. 690, 625 N.W.2d 511 (2001).

Administrative license revocation statutes are reviewed using the rational relationship standard of review. The administrative license revocation statutes do not violate equal protection, nor do they constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Schindler v. Department of Motor Vehicles, 256 Neb. 782, 593 N.W.2d 295 (1999).

The proscription that there can be no revocation of one's driver's license and operating privileges if the refusal to submit to a chemical test is reasonable under the circumstances contained in this section (formerly section 39-669.16 (Reissue 1988)), relates only to administrative license revocations by the Director of Motor Vehicles. In a criminal proceeding, however, the inquiry centers on the existence of reasonable grounds for the arresting officer to believe that an operator was driving while under the influence of alcohol. State v. Boyd, 242 Neb. 144, 493 N.W.2d 344 (1992).

Pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, a Department of Motor Vehicles regulation cannot, as a prerequisite to dismissing an administrative license revocation proceeding, require a prosecuting attorney to provide one of four particular reasons for failing to file a criminal driving under the influence of alcohol charge, as such a requirement modifies, alters, and restricts the provisions of this section. Dozler v. Conrad, 3 Neb. App. 735, 532 N.W.2d 42 (1995).

~Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska