55-50-503. Surrender of license Forwarding surrendered license and record of convictions to department Report of convictions Recommendation of suspension.
(a) Whenever any person is convicted of any offense for which this chapter makes mandatory the revocation of the operator's or chauffeur's license of the person by the department, the court in which the conviction is had shall require the surrender to it of all operator's and chauffeur's licenses then held by the person so convicted, and the court shall thereupon forward the licenses together with a record of the conviction to the department.
(b) Every court having jurisdiction over offenses committed under this chapter, or any other statute of this state or municipal ordinance of any city or town regulating the operation of motor vehicles on highways, shall forward to the department a record of the conviction of any person in the court for a violation of any of these laws, and may recommend the suspension of the operator's or chauffeur's license of the person so convicted.
(c) For the purpose of this chapter:
(1) “Conviction” means a final conviction; and
(2) A failure to satisfy a citation or a forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure a defendant's appearance in court, which forfeiture has not been vacated, shall be equivalent to a conviction.
[Acts 1937, ch. 90, § 13; C. Supp. 1950, § 2715.21 (Williams, § 2715.26); Acts 1955, ch. 114, § 10; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 59-714; Acts 1986, ch. 842, § 5; T.C.A., §§ 55-7-114, 55-7-503.]