BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The North Dakota House on Monday endorsed a bill requiring the state’s courts to seal drunk driving records if the offender has stayed out of trouble for at least seven years after a first conviction.
The House voted 89-3 to approve the bill that backers said was aimed at giving convicted drunken drivers who stay out of trouble better odds of getting a job.
Devils Lake Republican Rep. Dennis Johnson sponsored the legislation that now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Johnson sponsored successful legislation two years ago that sealed the court records of convicted first-time drunken drivers who aren’t charged with another DUI or any other crime for seven years. That bill was approved in 2019 with just four dissenting votes between the House and Senate.
Johnson says the latest legislation is retroactive. He says it could effectively wipe convictions clean from decades ago.
The bill does not apply to licensed commercial drivers.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.