Title 20 — Highways and Motor Vehicles
18 chapters · 279 sections in this title.
20 V.I.C. § 416 Restrictions
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(1) No vehicle may be employed or operated as a drive-yourself car which—(1) either is a used (or “secondhand”) motor vehicle held for sale by a dealer and on which a dealer's license plate is used, or is not otherwise registered and licensed as required by law.(2) is a motor veh…
20 V.I.C. § 417 Licensee's register of rental vehicles
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No licensee may rent a drive-yourself car to another person until he shall have examined such other person's driving license and verified that such other person is legally authorized to operate a motor vehicle in the Virgin Islands. Every licensee shall keep a register containing…
20 V.I.C. § 418 Imputed liability
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(a) No drive-yourself car may be rented to any person unless liability insurance, set forth in a policy form approved as required by law, has been procured by the licensee, in respect to such car, and is in effect whereby the insurer agrees to pay, subject to the conditions of th…
20 V.I.C. § 419 Mandatory insurance coverage
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(a) The insurance policy required by section 418 of this chapter shall provide that, after judgment against a driver, any person injured or whose property is damaged or the personal representative of any person killed, under the circumstances covered by section 418 and this secti…
20 V.I.C. § 420 Government register of drive-yourself cars
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The Director of Motor Vehicles shall maintain a special register of all drive-yourself cars in which he shall record the island, the date, and other pertinent information, of the registration and termination of or change in the registration of every drive-yourself car. Each licen…
20 V.I.C. § 421 Restriction on parking
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No licensee may use any public parking area, whether on a street or in a public parking lot, for the parking of drive-yourself cars; provided that the Director of Motor Vehicles is authorized to designate a limited number of parking spaces at a reasonable distance from the licens…
20 V.I.C. § 422 Numerical limitations
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(a) The Director of Motor Vehicles shall establish maximum numerical limitations for each island on registration licenses and license plates (referred to as “licenses” in the remainder of this section) for drive-yourself cars (which phrase, as used in subsections (a) through (f) …
20 V.I.C. § 423 Administration; rules and regulations; penalties; appeal
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(a) The provisions of this chapter shall be administered by the Director of Motor Vehicles. The Director of Motor Vehicles is authorized to issue and amend such rules and regulations, consistent with the provisions of this title, as he may deem necessary or appropriate in impleme…
20 V.I.C. § 424 Safety belts and safety seats required; notification
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(a) Every licensee shall notify operators of the provisions of section 466 of this title by attaching a sign to the dashboard of each drive-yourself car which shall read:“VIRGIN ISLANDS LAW REQUIRES SAFETY BELTS TO BE WORN BY ALL PERSONS IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THIS VEHICLE, AND SAF…
20 V.I.C. § 425 Motor vehicle rental surcharge
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(a) Every person who rents a drive-yourself car in the Virgin Islands shall pay a $5.00-per day surcharge for each rental. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the $5.00-per day surcharge shall not be adjusted for a period of five years after enactment. (b) The licensee sh…
20 V.I.C. § 433 Schedule of fees
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(a) The Director of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles shall establish and regulate fees to be levied and collected pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. The Director shall establish a Rider Training Course with a fee of $250 for Novice Riders, $50 for Novice Riders if it is dete…
20 V.I.C. § 434 Period covered by fees; computation
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Annual license fees for registration of motor vehicles as provided in section 433 of this title shall cover the twelve month period of validity of license plates and revalidation stickers as provided by section 334, subsection (a) of this title.
20 V.I.C. § 435 Collection of fees; disposition
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(a) Except as indicated in section 433, subsection (b) of this chapter and Title 33, chapter 111, section 3084, Virgin Islands Code, all fees levied pursuant to this chapter shall be collected by the Director of Motor Vehicles and covered into the General Fund of the Treasury of …
20 V.I.C. § 436 Reduced license fees for senior citizens and the handicapped
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(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the certificate of title fee, the registration license fee and the operator's private license fee as provided in section 433 of this title shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%) for senior citizens and persons who are handicapped. For th…
20 V.I.C. § 461 Inspection; members of Armed Forces
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(a) Before issuing a registration license to the owner of any motor vehicle, the Director of Motor Vehicles shall see that it is in satisfactory condition to insure safety on the public highways, and that its equipment is in full compliance with the requirements of this title. At…
20 V.I.C. § 462 Brakes
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Every motor vehicle using the public highways shall be equipped with brakes in good working order, capable of stopping the vehicle within 20 feet when it is traveling 15 miles an hour, and capable of controlling the vehicle at all times when it is in use.
20 V.I.C. § 463 Lights
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(a) Every automobile operated within the time from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall display at least two white lights and every motorcycle one white light clearly visible at least 250 feet in front of such vehicle. The use of dazzling lights in wel…
20 V.I.C. § 464 Horns and mufflers
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(a) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a horn or other instrument capable of giving audible and sufficient warning of its approach. No warning device on a private motor vehicle except those private vehicles which may be designated by the Director of Motor Vehicles for eme…
20 V.I.C. § 465 Motorcycles, motor scooters and mopeds
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(a) The term “motorcycle”, as used in this section, means every motor vehicle, including motor scooters and mopeds, having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and having not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding tractors. (b) Every motorcycle, ope…
20 V.I.C. § 465a Pocket bike
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(a) As used in this section the term “pocket bike” means a non-highway vehicle that resembles a mini-motorcycle, weighing between 39 and 180 lbs. It is a self-propelled vehicle that is equipped with an electric motor or internal combustion engine having a piston displacement of l…
20 V.I.C. § 465b Pocket bike—Penalties
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(1) Any person operating a pocket bike upon the public streets, highways, sidewalks, recreational parks or trails, bicycle lanes and parking lots shall be issued a ticket and fined not less than one hundred dollars or no more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than …
20 V.I.C. § 466 Operation of motor vehicles with safety belts and child restraints
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(a) For purposes of this section:(1) “Booster Seat” means a seat that raises children up so that the vehicles seat belt system fits the child correctly in that the shoulder belt rests across the child's chest and the lap belt crosses the pelvic and hip area, never across the abdo…
20 V.I.C. § 467 School bus inspections
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(a) The Director of Motor Vehicles shall cause to be inspected, not less than once every six months, every school bus operating within the Virgin Islands. Such inspection shall insure that each school bus vehicle is in compliance with:(1) all safety provisions of this chapter;(2)…
20 V.I.C. § 468 Low-speed vehicle
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(a) As used in this section, “low-speed” vehicle, also known as a neighborhood electric or solar powered vehicle, is a four-wheeled vehicle, whose attainable speed in one mile is 20 miles per hour, but not more than 25 miles per hour. (b) The operation of a low-speed vehicle on a…
20 V.I.C. § 471 Definitions
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(a) Wherever used in this chapter, the following terms shall, except as otherwise clearly indicated in the context, have the following meanings:(a) “Bureau” means the Traffic Bureau of the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department (V.I.P.D.).(b) “Commander” means the Commander of the…
20 V.I.C. § 472 Traffic Bureau established; divisions
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(a) In line with present requirements and with a view to solving the traffic problem, the Police Commissioner is hereby directed and authorized to establish and maintain a Traffic Bureau in the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department (V.I.P.D.). The Bureau shall be composed of two …
20 V.I.C. § 473 Repealed. June 24, 1987, No. 5265, § 1001 (d), Sess. L. 1987, p. 88
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20 V.I.C. § 473 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
20 V.I.C. § 474 Commanders of Traffic Bureau; equipment; personnel
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The Commander shall be appointed pursuant to law and shall develop, outline and perform the functions and duties herein prescribed. The Commander must be qualified by training and/or experience for the task of directing traffic matters and enforcing traffic laws. The Commander sh…
20 V.I.C. § 475 Duties and prerogatives of Bureau
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(a) For the carrying out of the purposes of this chapter the Bureau shall have the following duties and prerogatives to—(a) administer, supervise and enforce regulations and laws covering the operation and control of motor vehicles, and direct and control traffic and supervise an…
20 V.I.C. § 476 Powers of Bureau
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The Bureau is hereby conferred all reasonable and necessary powers for the carrying out of the purposes of this chapter. The Bureau is hereby further authorized to recommend, study and examine traffic-control and accident-prevention measures, heretofore or hereafter established b…
20 V.I.C. § 477 Cooperation of government departments and agencies
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The heads of all government departments, divisions and agencies shall cooperate with the Bureau and furnish the Bureau complete information regarding activities and programs of their various dependencies which are directly or indirectly related with traffic-control and accident-p…
20 V.I.C. § 478 Acceptance of gifts
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The Police Commissioner may, with the previous approval of the Governor, accept, in behalf of the Territory, gifts of property and money to help carry out the purposes specified in this chapter. Funds so received shall be kept under the custody of the Commissioner of Finance to b…
20 V.I.C. § 479 Federal Highway Safety Program
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(a) The Bureau shall carry out a highway safety program in accordance with the Federal Highway Safety Act of 1973 and all other applicable highway safety laws. The Bureau shall have all the powers and duties of the Office of Highway Safety established by Executive Order No. 188–1…
20 V.I.C. § 491 Police regulations; special traffic regulations
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(a) In addition to the provisions of this chapter, operators of motor vehicles shall observe the general traffic regulations contained in the Police Regulations set out in Title 23, and such traffic and parking regulations as may from time to time be published by the Police Commi…
20 V.I.C. § 492 Operating motor vehicles in reckless manner
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It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle in a reckless manner over and along the public highways of this Territory. For the purpose of this section to “operate in a reckless manner” means the operation of a vehicle upon the public highways of this Territory …
20 V.I.C. § 493 Driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquors or controlled substances; violations; penalties
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(a) (1) It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or a controlled substance included in Schedule I, II, III, IV, or V of section 595, chapter 29, Title 19, Virgin Islands Code, or under the combined influence of an intoxicating liquor and …
20 V.I.C. § 493a Driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquors; presumptions
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(a) Upon the trial of any criminal action, or preliminary proceeding in a criminal action, arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person in violation of subsection (a) of section 493 of this chapter while under the influence of an intoxicating liquor, the resul…
20 V.I.C. § 493b Certification of chemical test operators and machines
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(a) The crime laboratory of the Department of Justice shall promulgate rules concerning the certification of:(1) chemical test operators;(2) machines and chemicals, if any, used in the operation of such machines; and(3) the technique used in operating a chemical testing machine. …
20 V.I.C. § 493c Chemical tests
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(a) Any person who drives, operates, or has under his physical control a motor vehicle in the Territory shall be deemed to have given his consent to chemical testing of his blood, breath or urine for the purpose of determining the alcoholic or drug content of his blood, provided …
20 V.I.C. § 494 Speed limits
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(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a public street or highway at a (1) speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing, or (2) drive a motor vehicle on a public street or highway where…
20 V.I.C. § 494a Minimum speed
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(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede, hinder or obstruct the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe driving or when negotiating a grade, or in compliance with law. (b) Whenever the Police C…
20 V.I.C. § 495 Meeting; passing; turning; signals
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(a) Upon all highways or streets of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the left half of the highway or street, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, or when an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the right…
20 V.I.C. § 495a Emergency vehicles; right-of-way; reasonable care
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(a) The driver of a motor vehicle on a public street or highway shall yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle being operated in an emergency, and when the driver of such emergency vehicle is giving audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle or bell. This provision shall not …
20 V.I.C. § 496 Motor vehicles meeting animals
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Every person operating a motor vehicle shall, on a signal by a person riding, leading, or driving horses or other draught animals, bring the motor vehicle to a stop, and if traveling in the opposite direction, remain stationary as long as may be reasonable to allow such animals t…
20 V.I.C. § 497 Parking; tickets for violation; procedure; evidence
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(a) No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key and effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or…
20 V.I.C. § 497a Parking areas for taxicabs in Charlotte Amalie on tourist days; use
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(a) On days in which a tourist ship with 300 or more passengers visits the Port of Charlotte Amalie, the Police Commissioner shall designate on the Main Street of Charlotte Amalie not less than one dozen parking areas for the exclusive use of taxicabs for the period of the ship's…
20 V.I.C. § 497b Parking areas for taxicabs in St. Croix
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The Police Commissioner is hereby authorized to establish and from time to time, alter, modify or remove, exclusive parking areas for taxis on the island of St. Croix at such places where he may determine will serve the convenience and needs of the taxi-using public on such islan…
20 V.I.C. § 497c Access of Virgin Islands taxicab operators to docking facilities on tourist ship days
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The Police Commissioner is hereby authorized to establish by regulations means for affording access to public docking facilities in the Virgin Islands by taxicab operators on tourist ship days.
20 V.I.C. § 497d Taxicab access to privately owned or operated docking facilities on tourist ship days
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Upon the application of any person having jurisdiction over privately owned or operated docking facilities in the Virgin Islands, the Commissioner of Public Safety may regulate the operation of motor vehicles by taxicab operators on the ground or grounds of such docking facilitie…
20 V.I.C. § 497e Passenger loading zones at churches and religious organizations
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The Police Commissioner shall designate by appropriate signs a maximum of two (2) parking spaces in front of or in close proximity to a church or religious organization to be utilized for the loading and unloading of passengers only. However, such spaces may be utilized by the pa…