Penalty For Commercial Vehicle Offenses

In 2021, Senate Bill 21-271 adjusted misdemeanor penalties for a variety of offenses described in the Colorado Revised Statutes, including the penalty for certain offenses involving the operation of a commercial vehicle. This penalty was changed from a misdemeanor to a class A traffic infraction. However, despite making this change, Senate Bill 21-271 retained certain language that describes the punishment for the former misdemeanor offense.

The bill clarifies that the penalty for the described offenses involving a commercial vehicle is $100, to be accompanied by a $15 surcharge changes the classification for the described offenses from a class A traffic infraction to a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense, resolving the conflicting language in the statute.

The bill also creates a new offense when an employer or officer of or agent of an employer knowingly authorizes or permits an employee to operate a commercial motor vehicle on Colorado roads if the employee is not at least 21 years old or has not been issued or is not in immediate possession of a commercial driver's license. The bill classifies a violation of this offense as a class 1 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 5 felony.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)