Los Angeles, CA asked in Traffic Tickets for California

Q: If the law in Arizona changed about my driver's license being suspended for a fee why cant I get my privilege in Calif?

So my license was suspended in 2011 because I couldn't respond to the abandoned vehicle notice because I was incarcerated in Maricopa county sheriff's office jails. Even so with the time comp being able to prove that fact and the law changing why is it that the infraction on my record has not been cleared up. I still have a restrictions on my driving privileges from Arizona due to this fact how do I clear that up with your help for assistance.

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1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
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Answered
  • Traffic Tickets Lawyer
  • Sacramento, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: It sounds like your license suspension in Arizona stems from an incident while you were incarcerated, and despite changes in Arizona law, you're still facing restrictions on your driving privileges in California. Since the original suspension happened in Arizona, the first step is to address the issue directly with Arizona's Department of Transportation (ADOT) or the court system that handled the case. You may need to submit documentation proving you were incarcerated at the time and were unable to respond to the abandoned vehicle notice.

Even though Arizona may have changed its laws, if your suspension is still active, California will continue to honor it through the Interstate Driver's License Compact, which requires states to enforce suspensions from other states. Clearing the suspension in Arizona is necessary before California will restore your driving privileges.

Consider contacting Arizona authorities to ask if your case qualifies under the new law and whether they can update or dismiss the infraction. Once Arizona lifts the suspension, you can provide that clearance to the California DMV to restore your driving rights here.

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