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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho House Bill 552 Revises Motor Vehicle Judgment and Driver Testing Default Rules
Last action · February 9, 2026: U.C. to be returned to Transportation & Defense Committee
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What This Bill Proposed
TRANSPORTATION – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding certain judgments and to provide for default judgments in certain situations.
Drivers facing license suspension or test refusals must navigate stricter default rules and explicit business-day deadlines for requesting administrative or court hearings, while courts and law enforcement must follow updated reporting and fee-collection processes.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Motorists
Drivers face explicit default judgment rules and business-day deadlines if they miss or fail to request hearings following evidentiary test refusals or failures.
Idaho Transportation Department
The department receives judgment records, processes license suspensions, and manages administrative hearing procedures under the updated code.
Idaho Courts
Courts must process default judgments for missed hearings and enforce civil penalties and ignition interlock orders.
Key Facts
- Court clerks or judges must forward certified copy records of unpaid judgments to the Idaho Transportation Department within sixty days.
- Failure to appear at or request a hearing regarding a driver's license test refusal or failure constitutes a default judgment against the defendant.
- Hearing request deadlines are set explicitly using calendar business days.
- Civil penalties collected under section 18-8002 must be paid to the county justice fund or county current expense fund.
Show all 6 facts
- Law enforcement agencies requesting blood draws must pay reasonable costs for withdrawal, laboratory analysis, preservation, and testimony.
- An emergency is declared, making the act effective on July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a motorist fails to request a hearing after refusing an evidentiary test?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
5 actions- Feb 9, 2026U.C. to be returned to Transportation & Defense Committee
- Feb 6, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Feb 5, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Jan 30, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Transportation & Defense
- Jan 29, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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