The court may charge a dismissal fee for dismissing a charge of failure to display a driver's license if the defendant had a valid driver's license on the day of arrest.

• A. False
• B. Only if the arrest was in a different county
• C. Only if the defendant pleads guilty
• D. True

Answer: (D)

Courts may assess a dismissal fee when they dismiss a charge, to help recover the administrative costs of processing and closing the case. If the arrest shows the defendant had a valid driver's license on the day of arrest, the specific charge of failing to display a license can be dismissed, yet the statute allows the court to impose a dismissal fee as part of that dismissal. The presence of a valid license means the offense did not occur, but it doesn’t prevent the court from recovering its costs through the dismissal fee. This fee is about court costs and administrative processing, not about guilt or the defendant’s plea; it can apply regardless of county or whether a guilty plea was entered.