Section 509. Violations


Latest version.
  • 1.  Except  while operating a motor vehicle during
      the course of a road test conducted pursuant to the provisions  of  this
      article,  no person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle upon a public
      highway of this state or upon  any  sidewalk  or  to  or  from  any  lot
      adjacent to a public garage, supermarket, shopping center or car washing
      establishment  or  to  or  from  or  into a public garage or car washing
      establishment unless he is duly licensed pursuant to the  provisions  of
      this chapter.
        1-a.  Whenever  a  license  is  required to operate a commercial motor
      vehicle, no person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle without  the
      proper  endorsements  for the specific vehicle being operated or for the
      passengers or type of cargo being transported.
        2. Whenever a license is required  to  operate  a  motor  vehicle,  no
      person  shall operate a motor vehicle unless he is the holder of a class
      of license which is valid for the operation of such vehicle.
        3. Whenever a permit  or  license  is  required  to  operate  a  motor
      vehicle,  no  person shall operate any motor vehicle in violation of any
      restriction contained on, or applicable to, the permit or license.
        4. No person shall knowingly authorize or permit a motor vehicle owned
      by him or in his charge to be operated in violation of subdivisions one,
      two or three of this section.
        5. No person shall hold more than one unexpired license issued by  the
      commissioner  at any one time. The holding of a license of one class and
      a learner's permit for another class at  the  same  time  shall  not  be
      deemed a violation of this subdivision.
        6.  No  licensee  shall voluntarily permit any other person to use his
      license, nor shall any person at any time possess  or  use  any  forged,
      fictitious  or  illegally obtained license, or use any license belonging
      to another person.
        7. No person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle without being in
      possession of the  appropriate  license  for  the  motor  vehicle  being
      operated.
        8.  No  licensee shall fail to notify the commissioner in writing of a
      change of residence as required by this article.
        9. Whenever notice of disability  is  required  to  be  given  to  the
      commissioner  as  required  by this article, no person shall operate any
      motor vehicle until such notice has been given.
        10.  No  person  shall  hold  an  unexpired  license  issued  by   the
      commissioner  while  holding  a  driver's  license  issued  by any other
      jurisdiction. This prohibition shall not apply to any license  which  by
      its  terms  is valid only within the jurisdiction of issuance. Nor shall
      it apply if such person has informed the commissioner of  such  multiple
      licenses  and  the  commissioner has determined that it is necessary for
      such person to hold more than one license to comply  with  the  laws  of
      each  of  the  jurisdictions  in  which  such  licenses were issued. The
      foregoing exceptions shall not  be  applicable  to  commercial  driver's
      licenses after December thirty-first, nineteen hundred eighty-nine.
        11.  A  violation of any provision of this section shall be punishable
      by a fine of not less than seventy-five  nor  more  than  three  hundred
      dollars,  or  by imprisonment for not more than fifteen days, or by both
      such fine and imprisonment except, if the violation consists of  failure
      to  renew a license which was valid within sixty days, the fine shall be
      not more than forty dollars, and except that a violation of  subdivision
      seven or eight of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not more
      than seventy-five dollars.
        12.  A  violation  of  subdivision  two  of this section involving the
      operation for hire of any vehicle as a taxicab,  livery  as  defined  in
      section  one hundred twenty-one-e of this chapter, coach, limousine, van
    
      or wheelchair accessible van or tow truck within the state  without  the
      appropriate  license therefor, shall be punishable by a fine of not less
      than two hundred twenty-five dollars nor more than  four  hundred  fifty
      dollars.   A  person  who  operates  a  vehicle  for  hire  without  the
      appropriate license therefor pursuant to subdivision two of this section
      after having been convicted of such a  violation  within  the  preceding
      five  years  shall  be punished by a fine of not less than three hundred
      seventy-five dollars nor more than seven hundred fifty dollars. A person
      who operates a vehicle for hire without the appropriate license therefor
      pursuant to subdivision two of this section after having been  convicted
      two  or  more  times  of such a violation within the preceding ten years
      shall be punished by a fine of not less than seven hundred fifty dollars
      nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars.