Title 20, Highways and Motor Vehicles

No person shall start a vehicle which is stopped, standing or parked unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety.

The driver of a vehicle emerging from an alley, driveway, or building shall stop such vehicle immediately prior to driving onto a sidewalk area extending across any alleyway or driveway, and shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian as may be necessary to avoid collision, an…

The driver of a vehicle shall not back the same unless such movement can be made with reasonable safety and without interfering with other traffic.

No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load…

(a) Definitions. As used in this section, the following words and phrases have the meanings given to them in this subsection.(1) “Engage in a call” means talking into or listening on a hand-held mobile telephone, but does not include holding a mobile telephone to activate, deacti…

(a) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication. (b) As used in this section “write, send, or read a text-based communication” means(1) using an electronic wireless communicat…

(a) No motor vehicle operated on the roads and highways of the Virgin Islands shall be equipped with any television or television type receiving equipment so located that the viewer, display or screen is visible from the driver’s seat. (b) As used in this section “television type…

(a) Any blind pedestrian who is carrying a cane predominantly white or metallic in color, with or without a red tip, or using a dog guide equipped with a rigid “U”-shaped harness, shall have the right-of-way in crossing any highway, street, or any intersection thereof, and all dr…

(a) For purposes of this section, a “traffic signal preemption device” means any device that emits a pulse of light or other signal that, when received by a detector attached to a traffic control signal, changes that traffic control signal. (b) It is unlawful to install, transpor…

(a) Schedule of Fees for Speeding Violations in School Zones:VIC VIOLATION DESCRIPTION 1st. FEE 2nd. FEE 3rd. FEE T 20, 374 Allowing unlicensed driver to operate a vehicle100.00100.00 200.00T 20, 461(a), (b) Operating vehicles with bald tires 100.00125.00150.00T 20, 461(a), (b) O…

(1) The fines collected under Part II of this title must be distributed as follows:(1) 15 percent must be disbursed to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles;(2) 40 percent must be disbursed to the Virgin Islands Police Department to be divided equally between the district of St. Croix and…

(1) As used in this subchapter the following terms have the meaning set forth in this section.(1) “Active data” means data uploaded to individual, automated license plate reader system units before operation; and data gathered during the operation of an automated license plate re…

(a) The Virgin Islands Police Department shall develop and maintain an automated license plate reader system database. (b) The Department and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles may collect, and store captured images and plate data for the purposes described and as prescribed in this su…

(a) The automated license plate reader system may be used by a law enforcement agency for a legitimate law enforcement purpose and by a governmental entity for the purpose of:(1) enforcing all laws;(2) investigating any potential crime or criminal activity;(3) conducting traffic …

(a) Information gathered by an automated license plate reader system is not a public record and not subject to disclosure under the Virgin Islands Public Records Act, 3 V.I.C. § 881 et seq. (b) Captured plate images and data may not be used or shared for any other purpose other t…

(a) Any person who knowingly requests, uses, obtains or attempts to obtain images or data captured from an automated license plate reader system under false pretenses or for any purpose other than the purposes identified in section 523(a) is for each such offense guilty of a misd…

(a) The Department and the Bureau in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General shall promulgate regulations relating to the operation and use of the automated license plate reader system. (b) The regulations must include:(1) Designation of staff in the Department and t…

(a) This subchapter may be cited as the “School Speed Zone and Enforcement Act.”

(1) As used in this subchapter, unless the context requires otherwise:(1) “School Speed Zone” means a designated area within a specified distance from a school property boundary where vehicular speed limits are reduced below the standard limits for the road to enhance safety. The…

(1) The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works, shall establish the boundaries for each school to determine its school speed zones. School speed zones must:(1) be established in proximi…

The Virgin Islands Police Department, along with all P.O.S.T. certified peace officers, are responsible for enforcing the reduced speed limits within school speed zones. But law enforcement officers who are authorized to issue citations may issue a citation to a motorist who viol…

(a) Any person found in violation of the provisions of this section is subject to a civil penalty of $500 for each infraction.

Thirty-three and one-third percent of the fines collected from school zone speeding violations must be allocated to the Virgin Islands Police Department for traffic safety education programs, and improvements in school zone safety infrastructure and the remaining 33.3 percent of …

The Virgin Islands Police Department shall use all available technology including speed cameras and radar to enforce school zone speed limits. The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Police Department, shall conduct periodic reviews of school zone sa…

In case of accident to person or property due to the operation of a motor vehicle or bicycle, the person operating such vehicle shall stop and give his name and address and license number to the person injured, or to any policeman or other person interested, and if he is not the …

Any person who is injured by a motor vehicle or whose property is damaged thereby shall have a lien against such motor vehicle for his claim of damages, if he records such lien with the Director of Motor Vehicles within a period of 8 days from the date of injury or damage and if …

(a) Any nonresident who operates a motor vehicle in the Virgin Islands, and any nonresident who owns a motor vehicle which is operated in the Virgin Islands with his express or implied consent, shall be deemed to have appointed the Government Secretary of the Virgin Islands as hi…

(a) Whoever violates any provision of section 492 of this title, concerning reckless driving, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than six (6) months, or both. (b) Whoever violates any provision of section 493 of this title, concerning driving while intoxic…

Every moving violation ticket issued pursuant to chapters 43 and 45 of this title shall constitute a lien on the title of the motor vehicle upon which said moving violation ticket was placed, which lien shall continue in existence until the moving violation ticket is either paid …

Except in the case of parking offenses, the court shall send a record of the conviction of any offense relating to the operation or use of motor vehicles to the Director of Motor Vehicles of the Virgin Islands and to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of the State where the defen…

In addition to any other penalties, the court in its discretion may revoke the operator's license of any person convicted of an offense involving the operation or use of motor vehicles, except parking offenses. Such revocation may be either permanent or temporary for a period fix…

(a) The Director of Motor Vehicles shall keep a driving record for each holder of an operator's license containing the record of convictions transmitted to him under section 545 of this title. (b) The Director may refuse to issue an operator's license to any person on the basis o…

(a) The Director of Motor Vehicles may revoke or suspend any operator's license if he finds that the application therefor contained any false statement; or that the holder thereof is afflicted with mental or physical infirmities or disabilities rendering it unsafe for such person…

Before refusing to issue a license under section 541 of this title, and before revoking or suspending a license under section 548 of this title, the Director of Motor Vehicles shall grant a hearing to the person concerned. Any action of the Director under such sections shall be s…

(a) Whenever, after a hearing before the court, it shall be found that a person under the age of 18 years has violated any law or regulation relating to the use and operation of motor vehicles, the court may(a) impose a fine, not exceeding $100;(b) revoke the driver's license of …

Whenever any person under the age of 18 shall violate any law or regulation relating to the use and operation of motor vehicles, a police officer may deliver to any such person a traffic ticket describing the nature of the offense with instructions thereon to report to the Superi…

The provisions of this chapter and its regulations relative to traffic shall be applicable to every driver of a motor vehicle in all parking areas open to the public, which parking areas shall be considered for the purposes of this chapter to be public highways.

(a) The total amount recoverable for non-economic damages for any injury to a person in an action arising out of a motor vehicle accident may not exceed $100,000; provided, however, that this limitation shall not apply upon a finding of gross negligence or willful conduct. (b) Fo…

No motor vehicle shall be registered except upon the filing by the owner of the vehicle with the Police Commissioner proof of coverage by a satisfactory “owner's” policy of liability insurance, in the manner provided in section 707 of this chapter.

For the purposes of this chapter, a satisfactory policy of liability insurance means a policy issued by an insurance carrier admitted and duly authorized to transact business in the Virgin Islands, to or for the benefit of the person named therein as insured, which policy conform…

(a) An owner's policy of liability insurance, hereinafter referred to as the “motor vehicle liability policy”:(a) shall designate by explicit description, or by other appropriate reference inclusive of the vehicle identification number, all vehicles with respect to which coverage…

(a) The motor vehicles liability policy shall state the name and address of the named insured, the coverage afforded by the policy, the premium charged therefor, the policy period, and the limits of liability, and shall contain an agreement or be endorsed that insurance is provid…

(a) (1) When an insurance carrier has certified a motor vehicle liability policy in the manner provided in section 707 of this chapter, the insurer shall not cancel or otherwise terminate the insurance so certified until:(i) notice of cancellation has been provided to the insured…

This chapter shall not be held to apply to or affect policies insuring solely the insured named in the policy against liability resulting from the maintenance or use by persons in the insured's employ, or on his behalf, of vehicles not owned by the insured.

Proof of coverage by satisfactory liability insurance shall be furnished by filing with the Director of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the written certificates of any insurance carrier admitted and duly authorized to do business in the Virgin Islands, certifying that there is in e…

(a) In addition to the filing of a certificate of insurance pursuant to section 707 of this chapter, the owner of a motor vehicle who is required to provide proof of insurance for the registration or operation of such vehicle shall, upon lawful request, show proof that the vehicl…