Previous license suspension

[Brock Samson]

I am in central California and I seem to have run into a speed bump while trying to get my ADL. My license was suspended back in July 2003 because of a DUI. I passed my ADL test and was awaiting my temporary cert. when the DMV clerk informed me that because I answered yes to my license being suspended they couldn't issue a temporary one. She then proceeded to inform me that they needed to send my info to their central office and review my situation. The clerk told me that this process can take up to sixty days to complete! I was a little dumbfounded by this whole experience considering I was told that I shouldn't have any problems beforehand. To put the cherry on top of this crap cake I am currently unemployed (and running out of UI) and was really hoping to get a job as an EMT soon. Has anybody else ever experienced anything like this? If so, do you have any advice for me or any helpful information?

 

[Akulahawk]

While I can't offer any direct advice about that particular situation (I've never gotten a DUI) but I can say that the DMV has procedures that they're supposed to follow while they evaluate your case. If your Driver's License is current and not suspended and you have not had any adverse events since, you should end up OK. However, that's up to the DMV Central Office. Just make certain you're answering the exact question that is being asked. If the question is "has your license ever been suspended..." that's one thing. If it asks "is your license under suspension..." that's something entirely different.

Good Luck

 

[Bubz628]

Damn. If your situation happened in 2003, I don't see why it would be such a big issue. I recently had an interview with my local medic service, and they said there would be an issue if we had a DWI within the past 2 years. I had one in May of 2005, and the recruiter said it didn't even show up on my records.

 

[Brock Samson]

While I can't offer any direct advice about that particular situation (I've never gotten a DUI) but I can say that the DMV has procedures that they're supposed to follow while they evaluate your case. If your Driver's License is current and not suspended and you have not had any adverse events since, you should end up OK. However, that's up to the DMV Central Office. Just make certain you're answering the exact question that is being asked. If the question is "has your license ever been suspended..." that's one thing. If it asks "is your license under suspension..." that's something entirely different.

Good Luck

I think the actual question was "Has your license been suspended or revoked?". It did ask if I had a DUI in the past seven years (which I haven't) so I answered no to that one. I guess answering yes to one of these questions really throws a wrench in the works. It's just the waiting that sucks...

 

[Brock Samson]

I am still wondering why this has to be sent in for review by their central office. The dmv's own vehicle codes state that DUI's only affect the certification process if they are within seven years and suspensions and revocations are only in the last three years. I am beyond both of these, so I really don't understand what the holdup is.

 

[Aidey]

I really don't understand what the holdup is.

You are dealing with the California DMV.

 

[goodgrief]

Good luck solving that, in Georgia on most of the applications they tell you a DUI at any time means you are not quailified for the job.

 

[TacoMEDIC]

Same thing happened to me when I first applied for an ADL 5 years ago. My license was previously suspended for a street racing incident I got 4 years prior. It didn't take more than 2 weeks to get my ADL in the mail. They say it takes up to 60 days, but it shouldn't be anywhere close to that. Good luck.

 

[Brock Samson]

Well, after way too many calls to the DMV and a few office visits I finally got to the bottom of it. It turns out that the manager at the DMV office I went to gave me some bad info. I was a little unsure of one of the questions, so I asked if they could inform me specifically how to answer the question. The manager apparently didn't know so she guessed (incorrectly). Now because she told me to answer yes to a question I should have answered no to I can't get a temporary cert. I even talked to a review manager (apparently a big decision maker at the DMV central office in Sac), she informed me that even though the DMV was technically at fault for giving me bad information I still just have to wait for them to mail it to me. The is some good news: according to the review manager my record looks good and they shouldn't have anymore problems with issuing me the regular cert.

 

[Brock Samson]

Same thing happened to me when I first applied for an ADL 5 years ago. My license was previously suspended for a street racing incident I got 4 years prior. It didn't take more than 2 weeks to get my ADL in the mail. They say it takes up to 60 days, but it shouldn't be anywhere close to that. Good luck.

I hope mine comes that fast but according to the Sacramento office they have stacks on their desks that still have ones from September.

 

[Brock Samson]

Well, I still haven't received my certificate yet... I did find out that they are still probably another three weeks away from even getting to the stack forms that mine is in. I was however told by one of the people in their commercial driving division that I have the possibility of getting a temp cert. He informed me that because my livescan has been cleared for well over a month now that they should be able to issue me a temp cert. I was told that the only reason that I have been told to "just wait" is because the people in their field office don't want to go through the hassle of making me one! What a crock! I basically have to wait for maybe another month because they are lazy! :angry:

 

[sdadam]

I'm interested to know what incorrect information the DMV gave you that made you answer incorrectly.

You said that your licens was suspended, and the question asked "has your licens been revoked or suspended", so that's a yes. How would a no be a correct answer?