OFFICE OFTHE ATTORNEY GENERALOF= **AUSTIN**

Honorable Romer Garrison, Jr., Dlreotor apartment of Publiu Safety O~=P llabrg ILwtin, texM
AtteIltlont Mr. J. 8. Draper
Bsar slrt **opinion PO.**  **O-403&** Rer Isauanoe of driver's lieens to **a a&nor** **under 16** **ysarr of**  **age.**
We huve reaelvsd your 1ott.r of W@ptmber 23, 19.941, vhloh ve quots in part aa follolrrt

"we shall.greatlg appreoiate it if j0u~rll.l pleaae give ~8 hour oplnlon on the following quertiont%hsn & aounty $&go givQs authorlsat~fonfor **ismanoe of**  **liaswe to**  a **minor under** **.a6 yeari**  **of ago** **and over**  **14 yeare**  **of age,**  **and**do+ **not rhov**  ths neaes8lty, but the llcrenervlll Ibeused to drive an antomeb%le for pleaanre, etc., do we have the authorltp to refuse lssuanoe of license?@ Bubsdctlon 1, Qeotion **4,** Hour4 Bill Ilo.2$ Aota .?ort;T-seventh

Leglrlature, Regular $easion, la **queted**a6 iollowr 'TheDe~tment ehall imt lreue any llaense

m&e 1% neoesssry for euah person to be lie(rased as an operator; provided, howmoP, that in-~40event aball an operator's liaense a? to any person less then fourteen "T oless be

## pmea **14) pare**  **Of aget.** * (Emphasis supplied)



# IHonorable Homer Qarrleon, Jr., PagQ 2

Tiwa, we see that under above quoted provisions the county judgemay after fnvestlgatlon authorize the Department ofpublic Safety to issue a J.ioenseto apemon under 

### 16but over 14 yeare of age "vhen, in hle (the county judge's) 

### opinion, the person apply- Is qualified and conditions exist vhloh make it necessary Sor such Person to be licensed aa an operator." (Parenthetical insertion Ours) The determlaatlon of the existence of condltlons aiag nQCesBary the issuance of the license la amatter solely fOF the county jud,gQ. A written authorlzatloo 

### fromthe county ju&e is required, but the statute does not require that the authorlzatlon shop the n40easlty. After avrltton 

### authorizationis rQoelvQd by the Department of Public Safety, It then becomes the duty of that deputmQnt to 

### lseuea lloense to the applicant.

The determination by the county judge, aStep l&estigetion, that there 1s 8 ne04ss~tY requlrlng the lseuanae 15sa lloowe~ls in the nature OS a oourt order vhlah, ln our 

### opinion, labIndIng upon the Department OS Public Safety. gee Oplnlon 

### Ho.o-1079.

You are respecthilly advised thatnecessity does not have to be shown by the county dudge ln his vrltten authorizatian to theDepartment OS Public Safety to issue an ape&attir's llomae to a person 

### under16 but not less than 14 yearo’of sg~, and th4 Deparbwnt of Pub110 Safety may not r4SusQ to lrsu4 a lie~nse because of the Saot that su0h neoQs8ity Isnot shown.

Houeve~, we do not believe that it

### wasthe legislative intent to place persons under 16 but not less than 

### 14years 

### of age, sob towhom the county judge ,authorlced theDepartment OS Public Sifety to iesue a license, In amore desirable class than that occupied by other applicants; but on the other hand ve feel that it vas intended that such PeTsOns be plaoQd in the same category es any other applicant. 'PhBreSore,th4 mpartment of Public Safetymay refuse to lssu~ a Xloense to such person lthe oomes wlthln any of theprovislona vhlch diaqualifg him. gee 

### SeCtiOn 4 of House Bill NO. 200 YtlurEvery truly

pI%T ASSISTANT ATWRNEY G-~

W3Pej