(Statehouse) – The Indiana House has passed State Rep. Alex Zimmerman’s (R-North Vernon) bill enhancing criminal penalties for unlicensed drivers.
Under current law, operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license is a Class C misdemeanor, which can be enhanced to a Class A misdemeanor if the defendant has a prior unrelated conviction.
Zimmerman says his bill would add two new criminal enhancements of up to a Level 5 or 6 felony if the unlicensed driver causes bodily injury, catastrophic injury, or death.
“Our roads are used every day, and they need to be as safe as possible so Hoosiers can get from point A to point B,” Zimmerman said. “These increased penalties could help discourage unlicensed drivers from getting on the road and putting others at risk.”
Between 2020 and 2024, the Office of Fiscal Management Analysis recorded 2,697 convictions for operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license in Indiana as either a Class A or Class C misdemeanor.
Last March, 27-year-old Brad Castner of Holton was killed in a head-on collision with an unlicensed driver.
Zimmerman says, with no enhancements in Indiana Code, and no other facts to allow a prosecutor to charge a different crime, the driver could be charged with at most a Class A misdemeanor.
The legislation would also protect against fraudulent behavior by adding criminal penalties to those who intentionally transfer licenses or permits to unlicensed drivers.
Additionally, unlicensed drivers found at fault in an accident would have to pay the insurance deductible of any accident victim found not at fault.
One of the bill’s co-authors is State Rep. Garrett Bascom (R-Lawrenceburg).
House Bill 1114 passed through the House with bipartisan support and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
