APS
Administrative Per Se
DUI-related suspension or revocation actions involving alcohol or chemical-test issues. APS hearings are separate from the criminal case.
California DMV Driver Safety hearings
Prepare before the hearing. Protect your opportunity to be heard.
DMV administrative hearings can affect whether your driving privilege is suspended, restricted, revoked, or restored. Start with the notice, deadline, evidence, and hearing type—then build a clear preparation plan.
⏱ Some Driver Safety hearing rights have short request deadlines. Review your notice immediately.
Administrative DMV hearing assistance only. Not a law firm and not criminal-court legal representation.
DRIVER SAFETY HEARINGCalifornia administrative hearing preparation
Preparation starts before the hearing dateReview the notice, request and organize discovery, identify relevant evidence, and understand what the hearing officer will decide.
APS hearingsDUI-related administrative license actions
NOTS hearingsNegligent operator / point-count actions
Medical hearingsReexamination and medical-driver safety actions
Other DS actionsFinancial responsibility and license-status matters
Driver Safety hearing types
The issues are different. The preparation should be too.
California DMV Driver Safety hearings are administrative proceedings. The evidence, deadlines, and questions depend on the action being reviewed.
PTS
Negligent Operator / NOTS
Point-count, collision, violation, and driving-history hearings used to decide whether negligent-operator action is appropriate.
MED
Medical Reexamination
Hearings involving medical conditions, driving ability, medical evidence, testing, probation, restriction, suspension, or revocation.
DS
Other Driver Safety Actions
Other administrative matters can involve financial responsibility, reexamination, or separate DMV actions affecting the driving privilege.
What a hearing can involve
You have the opportunity to respond to DMV’s case.
DMV’s administrative hearing process allows drivers to review the evidence, present relevant evidence and testimony, respond to evidence against them, and use witnesses when appropriate. A driver may also choose an attorney or another representative at their own expense.
1
Review the noticeIdentify the action, request deadline, effective date, and hearing type.
2
Request & organize evidenceReview DMV records, discovery, reports, test results, and documents relevant to the issue.
3
Prepare your responseOrganize testimony, documents, witnesses, and points that address the specific Driver Safety action.
4
Attend the hearingPresent the case to the Driver Safety Hearing Officer and respond to the evidence.
Representation & advocacy
You do not necessarily have to handle the administrative process alone.
California DMV states that a driver may be represented by an attorney or another representative at the driver’s expense. Administrative representation is different from criminal-court representation and does not replace legal advice from an attorney.
For cases accepted for advocacy, an authorized representative may assist with Driver Safety communications, hearing scheduling, record/discovery review, evidence preparation, and appearance at the administrative hearing within the scope of the authorization.
See if my hearing can be reviewedDMV hearing case intake
Tell us what hearing notice you received.
The most useful starting point is the hearing type, notice date, effective date, and whether a hearing has already been requested or scheduled.
- ✓ Hearing type & DMV action
- ✓ Notice and effective dates
- ✓ Hearing request / appointment status
- ✓ Discovery / evidence status
- ✓ Representation needs
Do not upload a complete DMV record, police report, medical record, or other sensitive evidence through this public intake unless a secure upload workflow is provided.
California Driver Safety hearing resource
What to know before a DMV administrative hearing.
Driver Safety hearings are separate from court
California DMV explains that its administrative hearings are separate from criminal court proceedings. They are conducted before a Driver Safety Hearing Officer, and the evidentiary rules are less strict than those used in criminal court.
Hearing-request deadlines can be short
DMV’s general Driver Safety hearing guide states that a hearing typically must be requested within 10 days of receiving notice or 14 days from the date of a mailed notice. Some specific actions have their own rules; APS actions generally use a 10-day deadline from receipt of the suspension or revocation order.
Your hearing rights
DMV states that drivers can be represented by an attorney or another representative at their own expense, testify, review DMV evidence, present relevant evidence and witnesses, respond to DMV evidence, and appeal an adverse decision through available review processes.
NOTS and medical hearings are different from APS
NOTS hearings review the driving record, point count, collision and violation history, and whether negligent-operator action is appropriate. Medical Driver Safety proceedings may focus on medical evidence, reexamination, testing, driving ability, probation, restriction, suspension, or revocation.
How soon do I need to request a DMV hearing?
It depends on the action. DMV’s general administrative-hearing guide states that hearings generally must be requested within 10 days of receiving notice or 14 days from the date of a mailed notice. APS actions generally require a request within 10 days of receiving the order.
Can a non-attorney represent me at a DMV administrative hearing?
California DMV states that you may be represented by an attorney or another representative at your own expense. Non-attorney administrative representation is not the same as legal representation in criminal court.
Can I see DMV’s evidence before the hearing?
DMV describes a right to review its evidence, and in Driver Safety proceedings drivers can present relevant evidence and respond to the evidence against them. The process for obtaining documents depends on the case.
What happens at a NOTS hearing?
The hearing reviews the correctness of the driving record, point count, collisions, violations, driving history, and whether negligent-operator action against the driving privilege is appropriate.
What happens in a medical Driver Safety case?
DMV may review medical information and may require reexamination or testing. Depending on the evidence, DMV can take no action or impose probation, restrictions, suspension, or revocation.
Do not wait until the hearing date to get organized