Title 9, Vehicle Code

When Officer Has Option to Take Person Before a Judge. Whenever any person is halted by a police officer for any violation of this title and elects not to be taken before a judge pursuant to 9 CMC § 1302, the person shall, in the discretion of the officer, either be given a traff…

Written Traffic Citation; Discretion of Officer to Give Warning. (a) Whenever a person is halted by a police officer for any violation of this title and is not taken before a judge, the driver of the vehicle shall surrender his or her operator’s license for inspection by the poli…

Notice to Appear; Five Day Notice. (a) The time specified in the notice to appear must be at least five days after the alleged violation unless the person charged with the violation demands an earlier hearing. (b) The place specified in the notice to appear must be before a judge…

Authority of an Officer at the Scene of an Accident. A police officer at the scene of a traffic accident may issue a written traffic citation, as provided in 9 CMC § 1303, to any operator of a vehicle involved in the accident when, based upon personal investigation, the officer h…

Release of Defendant When Judge Not Available. If a person is taken into custody by an officer to be taken before a judge or court pursuant to this Division and no judge is available at the time of arrest, and there is no bail schedule established by the judge or court or no lawf…

Procedure Prescribed Herein Not Exclusive. The provisions of this division govern all police officers in making arrests without a warrant for violations of any provisions of this title, but the procedure prescribed in this division shall not otherwise be exclusive of any other me…

Citation on Illegally Parked Vehicle. Whenever any motor vehicle without an operator is found parked, standing or stopped in violation of this title or any rule, regulation or official traffic sign, the officer finding that vehicle shall take its registration number and may take …

Failure to Comply With Traffic Citation Attached to Parked Vehicle. If a violator of any restriction on stopping, standing or parking does not appear in response to a traffic citation affixed to the motor vehicle within a period of five days the bureau shall send to the user of t…

Short Title. This Act shall be cited as “The CNMI Selective Service Enrollment Act of 2000.” Source: PL 12-78, § 1. Commission Comment: PL 12-78, which took effect November 30, 2001, contained the following findings and purpose, along with severability and savings clause provisio…

Definitions. (i) “Registrant” as used in this Act refers to CNMI resident males who register at the Department of Public Safety for any license, license renewal, provisional license or identification card. (ii) “Males” as used in this Act refers to all men who are at least eighte…

Mode of Registration. This Act directs the Department of Public Safety to forward, in an electronic format, the necessary personal information required for registration of the applicant to Selective Service. Such information shall be forwarded when registrant appears at the Depar…

Notice. The applicants’ submission of their application shall serve as an indication that the applicant has already registered with Selective Service, or that he is authorizing the Department of Public Safety to forward to Selective Service the necessary information for such regi…

To Whom this Act Applies. The provisions of this Act shall apply to male United States citizens or immigrants under age 26 who are applying for issuance, renewal or duplicate of an instruction permit, a driver’s license, a provisional driver’s license, a commercial driver’s licen…

Felony Offence. This Act is made in compliance with Federal United States Law. Pursuant to the Military Selective Service Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 451 et seq., as amended, failure of applicable males to register with Selective Service is a felony. Failure to register is punishable und…

Limitations. The Department of Public Safety shall not send the personal data of an applicant for: an instruction permit, driver’s license, driver’s license renewal, provisional driver’s license or identification card, renewal or duplicate to Selective Service, where the applican…

Drive on Right Side of Highway: Exceptions. (a) Upon all highways of sufficient width a vehicle or bicycle shall be operated upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows: (1) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules gov…

Certain Vehicles to Be Driven in Right-Hand Lane. When any motor truck, tractor, trailer, or any combination thereof with a gross weight of vehicle and load of 10,000 pounds or more is being operated on any highway, it shall be operated in the right-hand lane for traffic or as cl…

Off-Center Lanes. The director may erect signs temporarily designating lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction, regardless of the center line of the highway, and any police officer may direct traffic in conformance with those signs. When official traffic sign…

Driving on Highways Laned for Traffic. When any highway has been divided into three or more clearly marked lanes for traffic, the following rules, in addition to all others consistent with them, shall apply: (a) A vehicle shall be operated as nearly as practical entirely within a…

Intersection Crossing. In crossing an intersection of the highway, the operator of a vehicle shall, at all times, drive the vehicle on the right half of the highway, unless the right half is obstructed. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 515).

Passing Vehicles Proceeding in Opposite Directions. (a) Operators of vehicles proceeding in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right and, except when a highway has been divided into traffic lanes, each operator shall give to the other at least one-half of the main t…

When Overtaking on the Right is Permitted. (a) The operator of a motor vehicle may overtake and pass to the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions: (1) When the vehicle overtaken is in a designated left-turn lane (including the middle lane of a three-lane hi…

Limitation on Overtaking on the Left. (a) No vehicle may be operated to the left side of the center line of a roadway in overtaking and passing another vehicle or bicycle proceeding in the same direction unless the left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for …

Interval Between Vehicles. The operator of a motor vehicle may not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard to the speed of the vehicle, the condition of the highway surface and the nature of traffic upon the highway but in every insta…

No-Passing Zones. (a) The director may, by regulation, determine those portions of any highway where overtaking and passing or operating on the left side of the highway would be especially hazardous and may by appropriate signs or markings on the highway indicate the beginning an…

Use of Bike Path for Passing Prohibited. The operator of a motor vehicle may not overtake and pass to the right of another vehicle by the use of a bicycle path. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 521).

Right of Way. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this division, when two vehicles are approaching or entering an intersection at approximately the same time, the operator of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right of way to the vehicle on the right. The operator of any veh…

Vehicle Entering Through Highway. (a) The operator of any vehicle shall stop at the entrance to a through highway and yield the right of way to other vehicles which have entered the intersection from the through highway or which are approaching so closely on the through highway a…

Private Road or Driveway. (a) The operator of a vehicle about to enter or cross a highway from any private road or driveway or from an alley shall yield the right of way to all vehicles approaching on the highway. (b) The operator of a vehicle intending to turn to the left into a…

Conduct of Operators on Approach of Authorized Emergency Vehicles. Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle sounding a siren or having at least one lighted light exhibiting red or blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 …

Rules of Procedure in Traffic Cases. (a) The Commonwealth Trial Court shall promulgate rules governing procedure in traffic cases, including a form for traffic citations. (b) The rules and form promulgated under subsection (a) of this section shall be applicable in all courts of …

Traffic Citation Books. The chief shall be responsible for the issuance of books containing appropriate traffic citations, and shall maintain a record of every book and each citation contained therein issued to individual members of the department and shall require and retain a r…

Disposition and Records of Traffic Citations. (a) The traffic citation may be disposed of only by trial in court, or by other official action by a judge of the court, including forfeiture of the bail, or by the deposit of sufficient bail with or by payment of the fine by the pers…

Record of Traffic Cases; Report of Convictions to Bureau. (a) The Commonwealth Trial Court shall keep a record of every traffic complaint, traffic citation or other legal form of traffic charge deposited with or presented to that court and shall keep a record of every official ac…

Pedestrians’ Right of Way on Sidewalk. Prior to driving over or upon any sidewalk or pedestrian path, the operator of any motor vehicle shall yield the right of way to any approaching pedestrian. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 526).

Pedestrians’ Right of Way at Crosswalks. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this title, the operator of a vehicle shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the highway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. (b) Whenever any v…

Soliciting Rides. No person may stand in or on the traveled portion of a highway for the purpose of soliciting a ride from the operator of any vehicle. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 528).

Crossing at Other Than Crosswalks. (a) Every pedestrian crossing a highway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the highway. (b) The provisions of this section do not…

Conduct of Pedestrians on Approach of Authorized Emergency Vehicles. Upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle sounding a siren or having at least one lighted light exhibiting red or blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to …

Pedestrian Obedience to Traffic-Control Devices and Traffic Regulations. A pedestrian shall obey the instructions of any official traffic sign specifically applicable to pedestrians, unless otherwise directed by a police officer. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 531).

Pedestrians on Highways. (a) Where sidewalks are provided it is unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along and upon an adjacent highway. (b) Where sidewalks are not provided any pedestrian walking along and upon a highway shall, when practicable, walk only on the left side of the …

Operators to Exercise Due Care. Notwithstanding other provisions of this division, every operator of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian or any person propelling a human-powered vehicle, shall give an audible signal when necessary, and shall e…

Suspension and Revocation. (a) Whenever any person is convicted of a violation of any provision of this title relating to the speed of vehicles or of reckless driving, the court may suspend the license of that person for a period not to exceed 30 days upon a first conviction, for…

Records. The bureau shall file every application for license received by it and maintain: (1) A suitable index containing, in alphabetical order, all applications denied and note the reasons for the denial on each. (2) A suitable index containing, in alphabetical order, all appli…

Required Position and Method of Turning at Intersections. The operator of a vehicle intending to turn at an intersection shall do so as follows: (a) Right Turns. Both the approach for a right turn, and a right turn, shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or …

Turning on Curve or Crest of Grade Prohibited. No vehicle may be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any curve, or upon the approach to, or near the crest of, a grade where that vehicle cannot be seen by the operator of any other vehicle approaching from either…