News release

Motor Vehicle Act, Municipal Legislation Amendments Introduced

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (Oct. 2000 - March 2014)

SERVICE N.S./MUNICIPAL RELATIONS--Motor Vehicle Act, Municipal Legislation Amendments Introduced


The province has introduced changes designed to make driving safer and to improve legislation affecting municipalities.

Among the proposed changes to the Motor Vehicle Act are amendments that will make it tougher for some people to get a driver's licence, allow police to make more roadside suspensions and require learning drivers to identify themselves to other motorists.

One amendment would prohibit drivers from trading in an existing licence for a Nova Scotia licence if the driver has any pending suspensions or revocations in other parts of Canada. For example, in Nova Scotia, a driver has a 21-day grace period before a revocation takes effect. If a driver moves to Nova Scotia and has a similar penalty from another jurisdiction, they would be denied a Nova Scotia driver's licence until the suspension or revocation is completed.

Another proposed change would allow a peace officer to suspend a driver's licence for 24 hours if the officer believes the person is operating the vehicle while under the influence of drugs. Similar penalties are in effect for people who have consumed enough alcohol to be impaired but are not legally drunk. While the 24-hour suspension stays on a driver's record for 10 years, no criminal record is established.

Another amendment would require private vehicles to display a sign alerting motorists when a learner is operating the vehicle. The sign would be loaned to individuals when they receive their learners' permits. Driving school vehicles are already required to display similar signage.

Under another proposed amendment, anyone wishing to graduate from the learner to the newly licensed driver stage of the province's graduated licensing program would be required to successfully complete a six-hour defensive driving course. Currently, the course is required of people wishing to exit the newly licensed driver stage. It is believed that people will adopt better driving skills sooner if introduced to defensive driving concepts earlier.

A number of housekeeping amendments round out the recommended changes to the Motor Vehicle Act.

On the municipal front, the Municipal Law Amendment (2003) Act contains a number of changes to the Municipal Elections Act, Municipal Government Act and Municipal Grants Act.

The Municipal Elections Act is being amended to implement recommendations from a committee that completed a review of the act last fall. The proposed changes would remove restrictions on campaigning in apartment buildings, clarify the cost recovery by municipalities for running school board elections and require accessible polling stations. Other changes include a process that will enable voters to register for proxy voting after the final voters list is completed and give municipalities authority to adopt new voting technology. The legislation contains a number of other changes in keeping with the review committee's recommendations.

Municipal Government Act amendments reflect 1999 changes to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and a number of amendments requested by various municipalities.

An amendment to the Municipal Grants Act authorizes a long- standing practice of the province paying grants in lieu of municipal taxes on provincially owned property. Another change confirms that buildings and equipment belonging to municipal water utilities are not part of a municipality's uniform assessment. There are also a number of housekeeping amendments.