(a)  Whenever the license of any person is revoked pursuant to the provisions of § 31-11-6, and whenever the division of motor vehicles, pursuant to the provisions of § 31-11-7, suspends or revokes the license of an operator or chauffeur upon a showing by its records or other sufficient evidence that the licensee has committed an offense for which mandatory revocation of license is required upon conviction, the division of motor vehicles shall suspend the registration of all vehicles registered in the name of the person as owner.

lawyer at desk

Ask an insurance law question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-32-4

  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • proof: is synonymous with the term "proof of financial responsibility for the future". See Rhode Island General Laws 31-32-2
  • Proof of financial responsibility for the future: as used in this chapter , means proof of ability to respond in damages for liability, on account of accidents occurring subsequent to the effective date of the proof, arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a vehicle of a type subject to registration under the laws of this state, in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, and, subject to the limit for one person, in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) because of bodily injury to or death of two (2) or more persons in any one accident, and in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident or seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) combined single limit. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-32-2
  • State: means any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any province of the Dominion of Canada. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-32-3
  • United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8

(b)  Whenever under any other law of this state the license of any person is suspended or revoked by reason of a conviction or a forfeiture of bail, the division of motor vehicles may suspend the registration of all vehicles registered in the name of the person as owner if the administrator of the division of motor vehicles finds that the public safety so requires; provided, that:

(1)  If the owner has previously given or shall immediately give and maintain proof of financial responsibility for the future with respect to all vehicles registered by the person as the owner, the division of motor vehicles shall not suspend the registration unless otherwise required by law.

(2)  If a conviction arose out of the operation, with permission, of a vehicle owned by or leased to the United States, this state, or a municipality of it, the division of motor vehicles shall suspend or revoke the license only with respect to the operation of vehicles not so owned or leased and shall not suspend the registration of any vehicle so owned or leased.

(c)(1)  Whenever the license of any person is revoked pursuant to the provisions of § 31-11-6, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall require that person to maintain proof of financial responsibility for the future with respect to all vehicles registered by the person or owner.

(2)  Whenever the license of any person shall have been suspended for having violated any provisions of the motor vehicle laws other than those enumerated in § 31-11-6, once within a period of twenty-four (24) calendar months, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles may in his or her discretion require the person to maintain proof of financial responsibility for the future with respect to all vehicles registered by the person as the owner. Whenever the license of any person shall have been suspended twice within a period of twenty-four (24) calendar months, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall require the person to maintain proof of financial responsibility for the future with respect to all vehicles registered by the person as the owner.

(d)  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, whenever the license of any person is suspended pursuant to the provisions of § 31-27-2 or 31-27-2.1, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall require the person to maintain proof of financial responsibility for three (3) years.

History of Section.
P.L. 1952, ch. 3002, § 17; G.L. 1956, § 31-32-26; P.L. 1962, ch. 204, § 2; G.L. 1956, § 31-32-4; P.L. 1968, ch. 282, § 1; P.L. 1970, ch. 279, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 377, § 1.