Chap. 272.—An ACT to provide for the suspension of operator’s and chauffeur’s
licenses and registration certificate, and the right of non-residents to operate a
motor vehicle, in certain cases; to prescribe procedure where damages to pro-
perty and/or injuries to persons have been caused by the operation of motor
vehicles, and to prescribe penalties. [H B 102]

Approved March 24, 1932

Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, as follows:

1. This act shall in no respect be considered as a repeal of any of
the provisions of the motor vehicles laws of the State, but shall be
construed as supplemental thereto: ,

2. (a) The operator’s or chauffeur’s license and all of the registra-
tion certificates of any person shall, in the event of his failure to satisfy
any final judgment or judgments rendered against him by any court
of competent jurisdiction in this or any other State, for damages on
account of personal injury, or damage to property, resulting from the
ownership or operation of a motor vehicle by him or his agent, be
forthwith suspended by the director of the division of motor vehicles
upon receiving a certified copy of such final judgment or judgments
from the court in which the same is or are rendered and shall remain
so suspended while any such judgment remains unsatisfied and sub-
sisting, and it shall be the duty of the court in which any such judg-
ment is rendered to forward immediately to such director of the divi-
sion of motor vehicles a certified copy of such judgment. If any other
such judgment shall be thereafter obtained against such person for
any accident, such license and certificates shall again be and remain
suspended while any such judgment remains unsatisfied and subsist-
ing ; provided, however, that, (1) when five thousand dollars has been
credited upon any judgment or judgments, rendered in excess of that
amount for personal injury to, or the death of, one person as the re-
sult of any one accident, or (2) when subject to the limit of five thou-
sand dollars, for each person, the sum of ten thousand dollars has been
credited upon any judgment or judgments, rendered in excess of that
amount for personal injury to, or the death of, more than one person
as the result of any one accident, or (3) when one thousand dollars
has been credited upon any judgment or judgments, rendered in excess
of that amount for damages to property as the result of any one acci-
dent, resulting from the ownership or operation of a motor vehicle by
such judgment debtor, then and in either such event, such payment or
payments shall be deemed a satisfaction of such judgment or judg-
ments for the purposes of this section only.

(b) If, after the expiration of one year from the date of rendition
thereof, any such final judgment shall remain unsatisfied, or if pay-
ment, or payments shall not have been made thereon as hereinbefore
provided, it shall be the duty of the director of the division of motor
vehicles, upon the application of the judgment debtor, to review the
case and hear such proper evidence as may be produced before him,
and if he shall be of opinion that such debtor has made a bona fide
effort to satisfy such judgment, or to pay the required amount, or
amounts, thereon, and has been unable to do so, the said director may
restore to such judgment debtor his registration certificates and re-
issue his operator’s or chauffeur’s license, provided he shall prove his
ability to respond in damages which may thereafter be adjudged
against him on account of accidents resulting from his ownership or
operation of a motor vehicle, to the amount of five thousand dollars
for personal injury to, or the death of, one person as the result of one
accident, and to the amount of ten thousand dollars for personal in-
jury to, or the death of, more than one person as the result of one ac-
cident, and to the amount of one thousand dollars for damages to
property, as the result of one accident; and the filing by him with the
said director, of either an adequate liability insurance policy, or a bond
with surety to be approved by the director, shall be sufficient proof of
his ability to so respond in damages.

(c) If any such motor vehicle operator shall not be a resident of
this State, his right to operate any motor vehicle in this State shall be
withdrawn for so long as any final judgment rendered against him for
damages, including personal injury, or death, caused by the operation
of any motor vehicle, either within or without this State, shall be un-
satisfied and subsisting, or until he shall have made payment, or pay-
ments thereon, or given proof of his ability to respond in damages, as
hereinbefore provided for.

(d) From any action of the director in suspending any license, or
right to operate a motor vehicle, or registration certificate, or in re-
fusing to remove any such suspension, in accordance with the pro-
visions of this section, the person aggrieved thereby shall have an ap-
peal as of right, to any court of record having civil jurisdiction in the
city or county in which the accident occurred, or, if the accident oc-
curred without the State, then to any court of record having a civil
jurisdiction in the city or county in which such person resides, with
the right of appeal from such court to the supreme court of appeals of
Virginia, both to the person so aggrieved and to the Commonwealth.

3. Any person who shall operate a motor vehicle on any highway
in this State while his license, or right to drive, or registration certifi-
cate, stands suspended under the provisions of this act, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by confinement in jail for
not less than two days nor more than six months, and in addition
thereto, there may be imposed on him a fine not to exceed five hundred
dollars.

4. The director of the division of motor vehicles shall make rules
and regulations necessary for the administration of this act.

5. Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing the plaintiff in
any action at law from relying for security upon the other processes
provided by law.

6. If any part, subdivision or section of this act shall be deemed
unconstitutional, the validity of its remaining provisions shall not be
affected thereby. ,

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