Mississippi considering taking your vehicle if you are caught street racing?

Mississippi lawmakers are currently considering House Bill 1272, a legislative measure aimed at strengthening penalties for illegal drag racing on public streets and highways. Authored by State Representative Shanda Yates (I-Jackson), the bill has recently passed out of the House Judiciary A Committee and is awaiting further action by the full Mississippi House of Representatives.

House Bill 1272 would amend existing sections of the Mississippi Code related to vehicle racing offenses to add the forfeiture of vehicles used in drag racing as part of the penalty structure. Under the bill’s language:

Drag racing would be defined broadly to include the operation of two or more vehicles side by side at accelerating speeds to outdistance one another or testing relative speeds over a set course on public roads.

In addition to existing fines and possible jail time already prescribed in law for racing offenses, a vehicle used in committing the drag racing offense could be seized and forfeited to law enforcement agencies where the violation occurred. The agency could then sell the vehicle according to established forfeiture law.

Mississippi law currently outlines an escalating series of penalties for drag racing convictions, including:

Fines and short jail terms for first and second offenses, paired with community service in some cases.

Felony charges for third and subsequent offenses within five years, carrying higher fines and longer potential imprisonment.

What HB 1272 does is layer the added consequence of vehicle forfeiture on top of these existing penalties — a move intended to serve as a stronger deterrent.

Under the version of the bill that moved out of committee, the new forfeiture provisions would apply only in municipalities and counties with populations of 25,000 or more, targeting more populated areas where law enforcement has raised concerns about reckless street racing.

This distinction is significant because around half the counties in Mississippi have populations under that threshold, meaning the bill’s vehicle forfeiture penalties would not reach every part of the state under current language.

Supporters of the bill — particularly law enforcement officers — argue that current punishments haven’t sufficiently deterred risky street racing. Authorities told legislators that many individuals involved in high-speed racing may be undeterred by fines or short jail terms, but might think twice if there were a real threat of losing the car they invested tens of thousands of dollars into.

Proponents contend that vehicles used in illegal drag racing often pose a significant public safety risk, especially on busy interstates and major roads where speeds and competitive driving behaviors increase the danger to other motorists.

One unresolved question at this stage of the bill’s progress is whether law enforcement must wait for a criminal conviction before seizing and forfeiting a vehicle — a distinction that can have major implications for how the law is applied in practice.

Following its committee approval, House Bill 1272 will now be considered by the full Mississippi House. If passed there, it would proceed to the Senate for further debate and potential amendments. Should both chambers approve the bill, it would go to Governor Tate Reeves for signature or veto.