(a) A person whose operator's or chauffeur's license or registration certificate has been suspended or revoked and who has been notified as provided in M.C.L.A. 257.212 of that suspension or revocation, whose application for license has been denied, or who has never applied for a license, shall not operate a motor vehicle upon a highway or other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, including an area designated for the parking of motor vehicles within this City.
(b) A person shall not knowingly permit a motor vehicle owned by the person to be operated upon a highway or other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, including an area designated for the parking or vehicles within the City, by a person whose license or registration certificate is suspended or revoked, whose application for license has been denied, or who has never applied for a license, except as permitted under this Act.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who violates subsection (a) or (b) hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as follows: For a first violation, by imprisonment for not more than ninety-three days or a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or both. Unless the vehicle was stolen or used with the permission of a person who did not knowingly permit an unlicensed driver to operate the vehicle, the registration plates of the vehicle shall be canceled by the Secretary of State upon notification by a peace officer.
(d) Before a person is arraigned before a district court magistrate or judge on a charge of violating this section, the arresting officer shall obtain the person's driving record from the Secretary of State and shall furnish the record to the court. The driving record of the person may be obtained from the Secretary of State's computer information network
(e) This section does not apply to a person who operates a vehicle solely for the purpose of protecting human life or property if the life or property is endangered and summoning prompt aid is essential.
(f) A person whose vehicle group designation is suspended or revoked and who has been notified as provided in M.C.L.A. 257.212 of that suspension or revocation, or whose application for a vehicle group designation has been denied as provided in this act, or who has never applied for a vehicle group designation and who operates a commercial motor vehicle within this State, except as permitted under this act, while any of those conditions exist, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable, except as otherwise provided in this section, by imprisonment for not less than three days or more than ninety-three days or a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00), or both.
(g) For purposes of this section, a person who never applied for a license includes a person who applied for a license, was denied, and never applied again.
(Res. 99-521A. Passed 10-4-99.)