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THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 - JANUARY 8, 2020
Since 1996
VOL. 8, NO. 1
NEW LAWS: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE SILLY FOR 2020 Terry MILLER tmiller@beaconmedianews.com
L
et’s face it; the majority of us here in California rely, perhaps a little too much, on our motor cars — despite the advancements in public transport. So it’s only natural that we commence the new laws with those that directly apply to the DMV. But before we get there, here are a few strange and somewhat silly laws, apparently on the books, to hopefully make the more serious laws palatable: • In Arcadia, peacocks have the right of way to cross the street, this includes crossing driveways. • It is illegal for animals to mate within 1,500 feet of a school, saloon or place of worship. • It is illegal for a Californian to ride their bicycle through a public swimming pool. • In Long Beach, it is illegal to curse on a minigolf course. • In Blythe, it is illegal to wear cowboy boots unless you own two or more cows. • It is illegal for autonomous vehicles to drive over 60 miles per hour. • It is illegal for women to drive vehicles while wearing a housecoat. • Walking an elephant down Market Street in San Francisco is illegal, unless the elephant is on a leash. OK, you have been duly warned. Now on to serious business and we will begin with the upcoming federal enforcement date for the REAL ID. Starting Oct. 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require a valid passport or
/ Governor Newsom signed several high-profile bills into law. – Courtesy photo / Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0)
other federally approved document, like a REAL ID driver license or identification card, to board flights within the United States and access secure federal facilities and military bases. “We urge Californians to apply for their REAL ID at the time of their renewal or their earliest convenience – so they are
fully prepared by Oct. 1, 2020,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said. To apply for a REAL ID, Californians must visit a DMV office and bring the following documents: • One proof of identity* – original or certified (examples: valid passport, birth certificate). *Legal name change document(s) if name on proof of identity
is different from the name on the other documents • One proof of Social Security number. • Two proofs of California residency – paper copies (examples: utility bill, bank statement). Visit REALID.dmv. ca.gov for a complete list of acceptable documents and a helpful quiz to determine if you need a REAL ID.
Customers are strongly encouraged to fill out the online application before their office visit at eDLapp. dmv.ca.gov. More new state laws or changes to existing law that take effect Jan. 1, 2020 and affect drivers: • Ban on Selling DMV Appointments (AB 317, Diep): Makes it unlawful for any person to sell, or offer
for sale, an appointment with the DMV. (Editor’s note – if you were lucky enough to actually get a DMV appointment before 2030, why on earth would you sell it?) • Clean Air Vehicle Decals for Low-Income Californians (SB 957, Lara – 2018): Allows certain used vehicles that were previously issued a green or white clean air vehicle decal to receive another clean air vehicle decal, granting access to high occupancy vehicle lanes until Jan. 1, 2024. To qualify, the vehicle must have a new owner whose income is 80 percent or less than the statewide medium income. • Repeal of Driver License Actions Based on Non-Driving Offenses (SB 485, Beall): Eliminates courts’ authority to suspend, revoke, restrict or order the DMV to delay the driving privilege of a person convicted of prostitution, vandalism or other non-driving offenses. • Extension of Pilot Program for Registration Alternatives (AB 1614, Gipson): Extends the pilot program evaluating the use of alternatives to license plates and registration cards until Jan. 1, 2021. • Driver License Extension for Members of U.S. Foreign Service and Spouse (SB 267, Wieckowski): Extends the validity of a driver license for a person in the United States Foreign Service or their spouse for the period of their service and up to 30 days following their return to California.
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