544.045. License to operate motor vehicle may be deposited in lieu of bail--exceptions--failure to appear, notice to director of revenue.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

544.045. License to operate motor vehicle may be deposited in lieu of bail--exceptions--failure to appear, notice to director of revenue.

License to operate motor vehicle may be deposited in lieu ofbail--exceptions--failure to appear, notice to director ofrevenue.

544.045. 1. Any person arrested and charged with violatinga traffic law of this state or a traffic ordinance of any county,city, town or village may, at the discretion of both the officerauthorized by law or rule of court to accept bail and the personarrested, deposit his license to operate a motor vehicle with amember of the highway patrol or with the officer demanding bailin lieu of any other security for his appearance in court toanswer any such charge, except when the charge is for drivingwhile intoxicated, driving while under the influence ofintoxicating liquor or drugs, leaving the scene of a motorvehicle accident, driving when his license is suspended orrevoked, or for any charge made because of a motor vehicleaccident in which a death has occurred.

2. Notwithstanding the fact that the officer authorized bylaw or rule of court to accept bail authorizes the personarrested to deposit his license to operate a motor vehicle as hissecurity for his appearance in court, in lieu of depositing hislicense to operate a motor vehicle, the person arrested maydecline to deposit his license to operate a motor vehicle assecurity and instead deposit a bond with the officer authorizedby law or rule of court to accept bail or other such officerdemanding bail in the amount of fifty dollars per traffic offenseallegedly committed. The officer shall issue a receipt for sucha bond to the person and deposit the bond with the judge, courtclerk or other officer requiring security for a court appearance.

3. The judge, court clerk or other officer requiringsecurity for an appearance shall accept the bond or deposit ofthe license in lieu of bail and, if the license is accepted,shall issue a receipt to the licensee for the license upon a formapproved by the director of revenue. The licensee may, until hehas appeared at the proper time and place as stated in thereceipt to answer the charge placed against him, operate motorvehicles while in possession of the receipt, and the receiptshall be accepted in lieu of the license as provided by section302.181, RSMo. If a continuance is requested and granted, thelicensee shall be given a new receipt for his license.

4. Whether or not a license to operate a motor vehicle hasbeen deposited in lieu of bail pursuant to this section, if thedriver fails to appear at the proper time to answer the chargeplaced against him, the clerk of the court, or the judge of thecourt if there is no clerk, shall within ten days notify thedirector of revenue of the failure to appear, and the directorshall thereafter withhold any renewal of the license or theissuance of a duplicate license to the licensee until notified bythe court that the charge has been reduced to final judgment.