Tougher DUI law to take effect

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003 | 9:30 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- This month the state's tougher drunken driving law goes into effect, a law Nevada Highway Patrol Chief David Hosmer said will make the roads safer.

In addition, fees charged by the secretary of state's office go up from 50 percent to 100 percent.

They are among several laws passed by the 2003 Legislature that go into effect at unusual times. Many new laws passed by the 2003 Legislature became effective when they received the governor's signature or on July 1. Many more become effective Oct. 1.

Under the new DUI law, starting Sept. 23 those with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 will be deemed too drunk to drive. The current limit is 0.10.

The state was under a federal deadline to tighten its DUI law by Sept. 30 or lose 2 percent of its road building money. That would have meant a loss of $2.8 million in this fiscal year, and the penalty would have increased every year so that by 2007 it would have cost the state $11.4 million.

The Office of Traffic Safety said 381 highway deaths were recorded in 2002 with 213 of them in Clark County. The alcohol-related deaths last year were 138 statewide and 83 in Clark County, it said.

In 1998 361 statewide traffic fatalities were recorded with 203 in Clark County. Of those statewide, 157 were alcohol related and 106 involved alcohol in Clark County.

Restaurants and bars opposed the 0.08 legislation in the past but dropped their objections when the state faced the loss of highway construction money.

Nevada's law automatically will be repealed if the federal government eliminates its law.

Starting Monday fees went up for those who do business with the secretary of state's office. The increases, which were part of the state's massive tax package, are projected to raise about $44 million over the biennium.

Fees charged by the state Securities Division and fees tied to the Uniform Commercial Code have risen as of this week.

Chief Deputy Secretary of State Renee Parker said the security fees are rising by 100 percent. For instance a broker dealer registration will cost $300, rather than $150. Investment adviser representatives will pay $110. Sales representatives in securities will be assessed $300.

In the Uniform Commercial Code area, when documents are sent in writing and consist of one or two pages, the fee is now $40 instead of $20. When the documents are three to 20 pages, the fee is now $60 instead of $40, and there now is a $2 charge for each page after 20.

Manufactured home transactions doubled to $40. To get a transaction done within 24 hours now will cost $40 instead of $20.