When parents are ordered to pay child support, they often don’t realize the full consequences of falling behind on their child support payments. When in fact, the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) has a number of enforcement tools to collect child support arrears (past-due support). One of these enforcement tools include the suspension or withholding of California driver and professional licenses.
The Department of Consumer Affairs issues all types of professional licenses, any of which can be suspended or withheld if the individual has fallen behind on their child support payments.
Types of professional licenses that can be impacted:
- Accountancy
- Acupuncture
- Athletic Commission
- Automotive
- Barbering & Cosmetology
- Behavioral Sciences
- Cannabis
- Cemetery and Funeral
- Chiropractic
- Contractors
- Court Reporters
- Dental
- Engineers and Land Surveyors
- Landscape Architects
- Medical Board
- Pharmacy
- And Many More
Under California law, court-ordered child support must be paid on time each month. If a payment is late or if the paying parent does not make the full payments, DCSS has the power to suspend or withhold the parent’s California driver license and/or a professional license. When a child support payment is 30 or more days late, the DCSS will submit the non-custodial parent’s name to the California DMV so it can initiate a driver license suspension.
Did the DMV Send You a Letter?
Before the Department of Motor Vehicles suspends a parent’s license for delinquent child support, the DMV will send a warning letter giving the parent 150 days to resolve the issue with DCSS. If the parent does not get caught up on their past-due payments within this time period, their driver and/or professional license will be suspended.
Have you received the “Notice of Intent to Suspend” letter from the DMV? If so, contact our office for legal assistance with your child support matter. We’d be happy to answer all of your questions and help resolve the problem once and for all.