Title 9, Vehicle Code

Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Forms. The chief shall develop and the director shall prescribe and provide suitable forms of applications, certificates of title, registration cards, operators’ licenses and all other forms required or deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of thi…

Authority to Administer Oaths and Certify Copies of Records. (a) For the purpose of administering the motor vehicle laws, officers and employees of the bureau designated by the director may administer oaths and acknowledge signatures, and shall do so without fee. (b) The chief an…

Records of Bureau. (a) All records of the bureau, other than those declared by law to be for the confidential use of the bureau, shall be open to public inspection during office hours. (b) The director may destroy any records of the bureau which have been maintained on file for f…

Authority to Approve or Reject Applications. (a) The bureau shall examine and determine the genuineness, regularity and legality of every application for registration of a vehicle, for a certificate of title, for an operator’s license, or of any other application lawfully made to…

Seizure of Document and Plates. The chief or such employees of the bureau as he shall designate, and all police officers may take possession of any certificate of title, registration or license issued by this or any other state, U.S. possession, territory, commonwealth, or foreig…

Distribution of Synopsis of Laws. The bureau shall publish a synopsis of the laws of the Commonwealth regulating the operation of vehicles and may provide a copy without charge to each person requesting a copy. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 113).

Definitions. (a) Birth certificate. The record related to a birth that is permanently stored either electronically or physically by the Commonwealth government or equivalent agency in the registrant’s State or Territory of birth. (b) Bureau or BMV. The Commonwealth Bureau of Moto…

Operator’s License: Fees. (a) No person, other than those expressly exempted in this division, shall operate any motor vehicle upon a highway in the Commonwealth unless that person has been licensed as an operator under this division. A violation of this section shall be punishab…

Operator’s License: Exemption from License. (a) Every person in the service of the armed forces of the United States, when furnished with an official operator’s permit and when operating an official motor vehicle, is exempt from the license requirements under this division. (b) E…

Persons Unqualified for License. An operator’s license shall not be issued to any person: (a) Under the age of 16 years; (b) Determined to be a habitual drunkard or addicted to the use of narcotic drugs; (c) Previously adjudged insane or an idiot, imbecile, epileptic or feeble mi…

Classes of License; Age Requirements. (a) The following classes of operator’s licenses are established: (1) All two- and three-wheeled motor vehicles. For the purposes of this subsection (1), a foreign operator’s license or license from any other territory or state of the United …

Learner’s Permits and Fees. (a) Upon receiving from any person qualified under the provisions of this division an application for a temporary learner’s permit in any class, the bureau shall issue the permit after examining the person’s physical and mental qualifications to operat…

Examination of Applicants. (a) The bureau shall examine every applicant for an operator’s license. The examination shall include a test of the applicant’s eyesight, ability to read and understand official traffic-control devices, knowledge of safe driving practices and the traffi…

Issuance of Licenses and Identification Cards. (a) Issuance. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles shall issue a driver’s license, temporary driver’s license, identification card, or temporary identification card to a qualified applicant that has submitted all required documents and has c…

Expiration and Renewal of License or Identification Card. (a) All fees collected pursuant to this section shall be distributed to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to offset its operational costs. (b) Non-temporary driver’s license or identification card. (1) Non-temporary expiration.…

Suspension or Revocation. The court in which the case is prosecuted may, in its discretion, suspend or revoke the license of any person convicted of any criminal offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle by that person. Any person whose license is revoked under this divi…

Driving While License Suspended or Revoked Prohibited. Any person whose operator’s license has been suspended or revoked and who drives any motor vehicle upon the highways of the Commonwealth while the license is suspended or revoked shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Source: PL 3…

Failure to Display Plate or Possess Card; Lending Plate or Card; Fraud in Application. It is unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to: (a) Operate upon a highway any motor vehicle which is not registered in the Commonwealth or which does not have the Commonwealth number plate…

Special Accounts Funds Pursuant to Public Law 17-45. Special Accounts Funds realized under PL 17-45 shall be distributed accordingly. : (a) The Secretary of Finance shall establish separate special accounts for the respective senatorial districts, Operations Bureau of Motor Vehic…

False Statements and False Documents – Penalty. It shall be unlawful for any person to: (a) Knowingly make a false statement in an application for an identification card. (b) Knowingly make a false statement in an application for a driver’s license. (c) Knowingly submit a false d…

Interpretation. This article should be construed so as to comply with the Federal Real ID Act of 2005 and the implementing regulations issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Source: PL 19-58 § 5 (Aug. 1, 2016), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission renumbered PL 19…

Operating a Vehicle for Rent or Hire Without a Taxicab Driver’s License or Taxicab Registration Card. (a) No person shall operate a vehicle upon a highway for rent or hire without having in his immediate possession a valid taxicab driver’s license or a taxicab registration card. …

Display of License, Rates and Driver Identification. (a) Every person operating a vehicle registered as a taxicab shall permanently display in the interior of such vehicle, so as to be plainly visible from wherever a passenger rides therein, the following: (1) A photograph of the…

Penalty. Except where a different penalty is provided, a person who fails or refuses to comply with or violates any provision of this Article shall be guilty of an infraction and be subject to a fine of $500 or imprisonment for 30 days or both. Source: PL 7-33, § 11; amended by P…

Grandfather Clause; Denial of Certification. (a) For any applicant denied a certification of fitness for a taxicab operator’s license by the Bureau of Taxicabs based on a conviction of the offenses as specified in 9 CMC § 2301(b), a hearing may be requested within a reasonable ti…

Chauffeur’s License. (a) No person shall operate a vehicle as a chauffeur, as defined in 9 CMC § 1102(c), without having in his immediate possession a valid chauffeur’s license issued under this article. A chauffeur’s license authorizes the licensee to drive as an operator and as…

Definitions. In this article, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply: (a) “Approving authority” means the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety or an authorized agent of the department. (b) “Certificate” refers to the written document iss…

Program Certification. (a) All public, private or parochial college, university, or high school, or business enterprise seeking certification shall submit application, with payment of fees to the Department of Public Safety for review and approval. (1) The application shall inclu…

Student: Minimum Requirements. (a) A Driver Education Program may not enroll any student who has not attained the age of: (1) Fifteen and a half years, for course instruction for operation of motor vehicles as identified under 9 CMC § 2204(a)(1), (a)(2) or (a)(3); or (2) Twenty-o…

Classroom Curriculum. (a) All driver’s education programs shall submit written classroom curriculum to the approving authority for approval. (1) No curriculum may be utilized until approved. (2) All instructors shall conduct classroom instruction in accordance with the approved w…

Laboratory Curriculum. (a) All driver’s education programs shall submit written laboratory curriculum to the approving authority for approval. (1) No curriculum may be utilized until approved. (2) All instructors shall conduct laboratory instruction in accordance with the approve…

Minimum Requirements for Instructors. (a) All instructors who meet the requirements of this section shall be approved by the Commissioner. (b) All instructors shall be familiar with the standards and guidelines published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTS…

Insurance. (a) All programs shall file with the Commissioner evidence of liability insurance obtained from a company licensed to do business in the Commonwealth. (1) Evidence of insurance shall be in the form of an original certificate of insurance from the insurance company with…

Surety. (a) All commercial driver education programs shall file with the approving authority evidence of surety company bond for the protection of the contractual rights of students obtained from a company licensed to do business in the Commonwealth. (1) Evidence of surety shall …

Records. (a) Commercial driver education programs shall maintain a contract file for a minimum of five years containing the original and subsequent contracts and renewal agreements by and between the student and the person receiving instruction. (1) Records shall be maintained in…

Rule-making Authority. Within nine months of this Act becoming law, the Department of Public Safety shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Act. Such rules and regulations shall include but are not limited to: (a) The establishment of a rea…

Driver Education Program: Authorization. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles is hereby authorized to establish a Driver Education Program, for people in the Commonwealth to meet the needs of people who are of driving age within the Commonwealth community. Such program shall be deemed as…

Education Program: Eligibility. Persons between the age of 15 and above who are first time driver's and are in the CNMI shall be eligible for the Driver Education Program. Source: PL 17-45, § 2(C) (June 13, 2011).

Short Title. This article shall be known as the Motorcycle Safety Education Program Act. Source: PL 19-12, § 2(101) (Oct. 15, 2015), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission substituted “This Act” with “This article” pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(d). The Commission inserted “the” …

Purpose. For the purposes of this article: “Motorcycle Safety Education Program” is a safety course designed to educate competency in operating a motorcycle upon public streets and highways with safety to himself or herself and other persons and property. Source: PL 19-12, § 2(10…

Motorcycle Endorsement. (a) No person shall drive or operate a motorcycle or a motor scooter upon a public street or highway within the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands without first securing a regular operator’s license with a motorcycle endorsement upon it. (b) Befo…

Motorcycle Safety Education Program. (a) The Department of Public Safety shall develop standards for, establish and administer the CNMI motorcycle safety education program. (b) The program shall include rider training courses, for novice and experienced riders, designed to develo…

Motorcycle Safety Education Program Course Fee. An applicant for a Motorcycle Safety Education Program course shall pay at least twenty dollars course fee. Increase of Motorcycle Safety Education Program course fee may be sanctioned by the Department of Public Safety Commissioner…

Exemption. The requirement of a Motorcycle Safety Program may be waived if: (a) The operator has in his or her immediate possession a valid motorcycle operator’s license or a valid driver’s license that is endorsed to operate a motorcycle issued by any other territory, or state f…

Penalties. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this article or standards hereby adopted or fails to comply therewith, or who violates or fails to comply with any orders made thereunder, or shall build in violation of any detailed statement of specifications or plans …

Disposition of Fees. 9 CMC § 5708(a) Inclusive. Notwithstanding 9 CMC § 5708(a) or any laws or provisions to the contrary, the Motorcycle Safety Education Program course fee and fines collected pursuant to this article shall be collected and used for the restricted purpose of fun…