Motorists will face higher fees and tougher driving-under-the-influence laws this year, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

A new law authorizes the state Department of Motor Vehicle to create a pilot project requiring all convicted DUI offenders in Los Angeles County – and three Northern California counties – to install an ignition interlock device on every vehicle they own or operate as a condition of getting their licenses back.

The amount of time the devices are kept on the car depends on their number of DUI convictions. The Auto Club supported that measure, which will not actually go intoeffect until July. Its effectiveness will then be reviewed.

A new law allows motorists to have a video screen for television in the front seat, as long as the device is designed and configured in such a way the driver can’t view it.

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Shriners Hospital for Children authorizes cities or counties to adopt local ordinances stating that if a person is arrested for using a vehicle to commit or attempt to commit a crime of prostitution or illegal commercial dumping, the vehicle may be impounded for 30 days if the person has had previous offenses.

Yet another law requires vehicle storage facilities to accept bank credit or debit cards or cash for payment of towing, storage and related fees. Operators who refuse to accept these methods of payment shall be civilly liable for four times the amount of fees, not to exceed $500.

The cost of new and renewed driver’s license increased from $28 to $31; a duplicate will now cost $25 and an identification card will cost $24. And those are just a couple of the new fee increases that have gone into effect in 2010.