Source: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/dl/driversafety/fr_guide
Timestamp: 2017-03-26 03:37:58
Document Index: 446396354

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 16020', '§ 16021', '§ 16070', '§ 16075', '§ 16000', '§ 16000', '§ 16021', '§ 16052', '§ 16075', '§ 16001', '§ 16070', '§ 16430', '§ 16072', '§ 16073']

Driver Safety Information Financial Responsibility Guidelines Actions
Suspension of Registered Owner
Vehicle Code § 16020 states: "...every driver and every owner of a motor vehicle shall at all times be able to establish financial responsibility pursuant to § 16021, and shall at all times carry in the vehicle evidence of the form of financial responsibility in effect for the vehicle."
Vehicle Code § 16070 provides for suspension of a driver or owner who fails to show financial responsibility was in effect for a reportable accident.
Vehicle Code § 16075 (c) requires that the department hold a hearing and make a determination before the effective date of the suspension.
Vehicle Code § 16000(a) requires every driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident on a public street or highway, to report the accident within 10 days to the Department of Motor Vehicles, if any person was injured or killed, or if the property of any one person had over $1,000 ($750 for accidents prior to January 1, 2017) damage.
Vehicle Code § 16000.1 (a) also requires certain off-highway accidents to be reported if they meet all of the following criteria:
Occur off the street or highway.
Involve a vehicle subject to registration (includes vehicles not currently registered).
Involve damage to the property of any one person over $1,000 ($750 for accidents prior to January 1, 2017), an injury of any degree, or the death of any person.
However, an off-highway accident on private property in which damages occur only to the property of the driver or owner of the motor vehicle and no bodily injury or death occurs is not required to be reported to the department.
Under Vehicle Code § 16021 , financial responsibility is established if the driver or owner is:
Holder of a department-issued certificate of self-insurance, pursuant to Vehicle Code § 16052.
In compliance with the requirements authorized by the department by any other manner which effectuates the purposes of the financial responsibility laws in Division 7, Chapter 1 of the Vehicle Code.
Regardless of the form of FR evidence claimed, the hearing officer must determine whether or not an acceptable form of financial responsibility covering the driver and vehicle was in effect at the time of the accident.
To request an FR hearing, you must submit your request in writing to:
Failure to respond to a notice of suspension within 10 days of receiving the order is a waiver of the person's right to a hearing (Vehicle Code § 16075).
The issues to be considered in a hearing are limited to:
(1) Was the respondent the driver or owner of the vehicle involved in the accident?
(2) Was there property damage over $1,000 ($750 for accidents prior to January 1, 2017) or was any person injured or killed?
(3) Did respondent have automobile liability insurance or one of the other approved types of financial responsibility in effect at the time of the accident?
NOTE: Who was to blame for the accident or the need for a driver license has no bearing on the outcome of the hearing.
The driver may believe the registered owner should be responsible and be suspended because the driver had no knowledge of the registered owner not having insurance coverage on the vehicle. The driver's request in this situation cannot be honored. It is the responsibility of the driver who was involved in the accident to show evidence of financial responsibility. The FR laws also apply to the registered owner.
The registered owner of the vehicle involved in the accident will have his or her driving privilege suspended when there is no evidence of financial responsibility under the following conditions:
The vehicle was a driverless runaway (Vehicle Code § 16001 ); or
The driver cannot be identified.
A financial responsibility action is taken against the driver when the driver is known. If the driver cannot be identified in situations of hit and run, or uses false identification, and the registered owner does not identify the driver, the owner must then submit the required evidence of FR or his or her driving privilege will be suspended.
The period of the FR suspension under Vehicle Code § 16070 is a minimum one year. At the end of the suspension, proof of financial responsibility must be filed and maintained with the department for three years, pursuant to Vehicle Code § 16430.
In lieu of the suspension, a person may apply for a restricted license under the provisions of Vehicle Code §§ 16072 and 16077 . A driver license suspension or revocation in effect for any cause other than a financial responsibility suspension will prevent the issuance of a restricted license. The restriction remains in effect for the period of suspension and evidence of insurance must be maintained with the department. After the restriction period ends, proof of insurance must continue to be on file for three years.
A person who is required to drive during employment may apply for a course of employment exemption which allows for the operation of a motor vehicle for compensation not registered in the person's name in order to perform job duties in the course of employment (Vehicle Code § 16073 ). The suspension remains in effect, and the exemption does not authorize driving to and from work.
Any driving other than that permitted by the restriction or exemption is citable under the Vehicle Code.