North Dakota § 39-06-42 - Penalty for driving while license suspended or revoked - Impoundment of

§ 39-06-42. Penalty for driving while license suspended or revoked - Impoundment of

vehicle number plates - Authority of cities. 1. Except as provided in section 39-06.1-11, an individual who operates a motor vehicle on a highway or on public or private areas to which the public has a right of access for vehicular use in this state while an individual's operator's license is suspended or revoked in any jurisdiction is guilty of a class B misdemeanor for the first, second, or third offense within a five-year period. Any subsequent offense within the same five-year period is a class A misdemeanor. 2. If the suspension or revocation was imposed for violation of section 39-08-01 or equivalent ordinance or was governed by section 39-06-31 or chapter 39-20, the sentence must be at least four consecutive days' imprisonment and a fine as the court deems proper. The execution of sentence may not be suspended or the imposition of sentence deferred under subsection 3 or 4 of section 12.1-32-02. Forfeiture of bail is not permitted in lieu of the defendant's personal appearance in open court for arraignment on a charge under this subsection. 3. A court may dismiss a charge under this section upon motion by the defendant if the defendant's operator's license is reinstated within sixty days of the date of the offense and the defendant provides to the court satisfactory evidence of the reinstatement. Alternatively, upon motion, a court may grant a motion to amend a charge under this section to a violation of section 39-06-01. 4. In addition to any other punishment imposed, the court may order the number plates of the motor vehicle owned and operated by the offender at the time of the offense to be destroyed by the sheriff. If a period of suspension has been extended under subsection 6 of section 39-06-17, the court may order the number plates to be destroyed under this subsection. The offender shall deliver the number plates to the court without delay at a time certain as ordered by the court following the conviction. The court shall deliver the number plates to the sheriff and notify the department of the order. An offender who does not provide the number plates to the court at the appropriate time is subject to revocation of probation. 5. A city may authorize, by ordinance, its municipal judge to order destruction of motor vehicle number plates by the office of the police officer that made the arrest in the manner provided in subsection 4.