Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today made the following statement about Driver Responsibility Fees as lawmakers return from winter break next week.

“Michigan residents have waited long enough for relief from these burdensome fees that are hurting families and job growth across the state,” Johnson said. “I encourage House and Senate members to work together with the governor to reach a deal right away to forgive the fees. Driver Responsibility Fees are not enforcing traffic safety. Because of this automatic double-penalty, too many Michigan residents have lost their licenses because of Driver Responsibility Fees. They can’t take their kids to school or get to work, disrupting their families and harming local businesses who can’t find enough qualified employees.”

As a state representative in 2003, Johnson voted against Driver Responsibility Fees. As secretary of state, she has pushed for repealing the Driver Responsibility Fee law, successfully advocating that lawmakers eliminate the most common fees in 2011, create a community service option for certain fees in 2015 and begin phasing out all fees.

Driver Responsibility Fees are an additional fee automatically charged for various traffic violations, including non-moving violations, on top of regular traffic citation fines and court costs. Unlike traditional court fines and fees in which a judge can take into consideration a driver’s ability to pay and order alternatives, such as payment plans or community service in lieu of payment, the automatically assessed Driver Responsibility Fees cannot be waived or reduced by a judge.