NOTS Suspension
What is a NOTS Suspension?: Driving in the State of California is a privilege we often take for granted. Because living in California is often rural and because public transit in the State is often inadequate, the preservation of one’s driving privilege is critical to the California life style. Very often, a person’s employment is predicated upon the maintenance of a valid driver license. Although driving in California is a privilege we enjoy, it is a conditional privilege that can be stripped away if we do not obey the rules of the road and act with due regard for the safety of other drivers.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the government entity empowered to grant us our driving privilege but they also maintain the power to take that privilege away. If any driver in California demonstrates a lack of knowledge or an unwillingness to drive safely, the DMV has the power to restrict, suspend, or revoke a person’s driving privilege through the Negligent Operator Treatment System known as “NOTS.” NOTS is a powerful computer database used by the DMV to monitor the driving history of all drivers and, if any driver demonstrates a history of bad driving, label that person as a Negligent Operator. A NOTS Suspension of one’s driving privilege occurs when a person is labeled as a Negligent Operator and they either fail to correct their driving habits or fail to convince the DMV that they are a safe driver.
How Long is a NOTS Suspension?
If the DMV has labeled you as a Negligent Operator and if your driver license has been taken from you as a result of a NOTS Suspension, the DMV can hold your license in suspension for one-year or longer. Additionally, a NOTS Suspension can trigger the requirement for filing an SR-22 Insurance Form that can cause a dramatic increase in the cost of auto insurance.
A NOTS Suspension is not controlled by the “Mandatory Actions” section of the California Vehicle Code so the DMV Hearing Officer has a great deal of discretion to minimize, modify, or terminate any NOTS Suspension.
How Do I Fight a NOTS Suspension?
Most California drivers learn that they are the focus of a NOTS Suspension when they receive a letter in the mail. This “Notice of Suspension” tells you that the DMV has identified you as a “Negligent Operator” and that the suspension of your driving privilege is about to take place.
Before a NOTS Suspension can take effect, the DMV must grant the accused driver an opportunity to defend themselves. This requires that you contact your local Driver Safety Office to schedule a formal hearing to reverse the intended NOTS Suspension.
The “Notice of Suspension” that you receive in the mail will specify a period of time (generally 10 to 14 days) during which you must contact the Driver Safety Office to schedule your hearing. When your Negligent Operator Hearing occurs, it is a formal proceeding that is guided by the principles of Administrative Law. The is a formal legal proceeding that must be handled correctly; if not, the NOTS Suspension will take effect.
Call Us Now….. We’re Ready to Help!
If your driving privilege is critical to your job, your freedom, and your way of life, don’t leave anything to chance. If the DMV intends to take your driver license through a NOTS Suspension, you must act quickly and appropriately to turn this issue around. Make no mistake, at a Negligent Operator Hearing, it is the DMV’s absolute intention to take you off the road through a NOTS Suspension.
These hearings can be won. The NOTS Suspension can be reversed or terminated but to do so requires that you schedule, prepare, and conduct a Negligent Operator Hearing in a timely and professional manner. Preparation and presentation are the key to success.
The DMV Defense Experts at California Drivers Advocates stand ready to help you through this problem. With years of experience in the field, we know how the DMV works and we know how to beat them at their own game.