Having an outstanding bench warrant or arrest warrant and not contacting a seasoned attorney to resolve, or recall, the warrant can be very stressful knowing that any police contact may lead to an arrest. Sometimes, a person with an outstanding warrant may hesitate to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in fear that they may be arrested when they arrive. Because of this concern, they may avoid visiting the DMV when necessary and as a result, their vehicle records may go out of date, or they may not apply to renew or obtain their driver’s license which leads to other problems or possible criminal violations.
If you or a loved one have a warrant for your arrest, it is important to take action as soon as possible. The attorneys at The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian have the knowledge and experience to resolve your arrest warrant and get your life back on track. Contact The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian online or call 855-918-4253 today for help.
Do the California Superior Courts inform the DMV of outstanding warrants in Orange County, CA?
The DMV is a state governmental department. When you bring your documents to renew your license, update your registration, or complete some other administrative task, the DMV clerk will enter your information into their database to pull up your license information. The information available to the clerk, and to the DMV as a whole, is information that only relates to your driving privilege.
If the criminal courts have taken action against a person where the action affects a person’s driving privilege the DMV clerk will see that effect. For example, if a person fails to appear in court for a traffic related violation the court will likely issue a bench warrant for that person’s arrest. Because this is a traffic related violation, the criminal court will notify the DMV that the person failed to appear and the DMV will issue a hold on their driving privilege. However, the DMV clerk will not see an actual warrant as the warrant is specific to the criminal proceedings and not the person’s driving privilege, they will only see that they failed to appear in court.
If a criminal action has resulted in a hold on a person’s license or driving privilege, the DMV clerk will see that there is a case number and the name of the courthouse. The DMV clerk should provide this information to you so that you can resolve the issue in court and later return to the DMV to have your driving privilege reinstated.
Once you receive this information, you should contact a seasoned warrant lawyer like those at The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian. Contact The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian online or call 855-918-4253 today for help.
Can you be arrested while at the DMV?
As discussed above, the employees at the DMV are not notified that a person has a warrant for their arrest. As such, a clerk would not notify any arresting agency of that person’s presence at the DMV as they would not have this information. However, if a person has a warrant for their arrest, they can be arrested at any location by the police, which includes being arrested at a Department of Motor Vehicles location.
If there is a hold on my driving privilege due to criminal proceedings, may I resolve this at the DMV?
If your driving privilege is suspended or a hold is placed on your license as a result of an action by the criminal courts it is very likely that you will not be able to remove the hold or suspension at the DMV and you will need to go to court to resolve the issue. If you are made aware of the suspension or hold at the DMV, the clerk should be able to provide you with a case number and the courthouse that you will need to go to resolve the issue.
It is always best to resolve your arrest warrant or bench warrant as soon as possible.
Legal representation can help prevent you from wasting time and money, and incurring points on your driver’s license. A skilled defense lawyer can take care of most of these issues on your behalf and get you back on the road and back to normal life with minimal damage. Contact The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian in Orange County, California online or call 855-918-4253 for help.
What do I do if there is a warrant for my arrest?
The first and best course of action in response to a bench warrant or arrest warrant is to act immediately. So long as there is an active warrant for your arrest, any police interaction may result in your arrest. Warrants need to be resolved before life can go on as normal. A skilled warrant lawyer in Orange County, California, like those at The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian, can help you get your warrant taken care of with the least consequences possible.
A bench warrant is one issued by a Judge in the criminal court system for failing to adhere to a particular legal matter. Numerous actions can generate a bench warrant, such as:
- Failure to appear in court at a certain date and time for any reason
- Failure to comply with a Judge’s orders
- Failure to pay a fine
- Any probation violation
- Not completing a court-mandated course, such as DUI counseling
- Not appearing for court-ordered community service or community labor
- Violation of a written promise to appear in court, a Penal Code 853.7 warrant
Judges do not necessarily have to notify someone if a bench warrant has been issued, especially if the bench warrant comes as a result of a probation violation or failure to appear in court. Consequently, that person may not find out about it until they are arrested during a traffic stop, at which point a police officer or deputy will conduct a simple warrant search incident to your arrest.
If you have an active arrest warrant in Orange County, California, but are unaware of it, you may find out in a surprising or embarrassing way by being arrested at your home, work or some other public location. Some people do not know that there is a warrant for their arrest until they are confronted by law enforcement and placed in handcuffs.
What are DMV Investigations?
While warrants and illegal acts are generally not visible to the DMV, there are some traffic and travel related crimes that the Department of Motor Vehicles will investigate. The California DMV has its own investigative team that looks into crimes and vehicle violations that potentially threaten DMV programs or other citizens. The Investigations Division diligently enforces laws, rules, and regulations that apply to new and used vehicle dealers, brokers, dismantlers, registrations services, vehicle verifiers, misuse of Disabled Person Parking Placard/Plates, driving schools or traffic violator schools, and other vehicle-related businesses.
DMV investigators can conduct surveillance and serve search warrants and arrest warrants, and they work with other law enforcement professionals to build cases. Once their investigation is complete, DMV investigators then notify the appropriate prosecuting agency of their findings. In their own right, a DMV investigation can end with administrative action, criminal charges, suspension of driving privileges, or more.
Get Your Warrant Resolved in Orange County, California
Having any type of warrant, DMV hold, or traffic infraction over your head is daunting, and the best way to get your life back on track is by clearing up any type of warrant or DMV hold as soon as possible. For any warrant, court, or criminal matter, contact The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian to take legal action on your behalf. Our firm can take care of your warrant issues and help you move on with your life in Orange County, California.
