License Release
Under California law, parents court ordered to pay child support must pay the complete monthly child support obligation on time. If the payment is late or the complete amount is not paid, the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) can suspend or withhold California drivers and/or professional licenses. When the child support payment is late 30 or more days, DCSS submits the non-custodial parent’s name to the Agency Issuing the license, e.g., California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), for license suspension.
The licensing agency (DMV) sends a warning letter allowing the parent 150 days to work with DCSS to pay the past due child support. If the child support obligation is not paid within this time, the drivers and/or professional license suspension will take place. Our office can release your license in person and in some circumstances, over the phone.
Please note: Licenses are not released automatically when payments are made. Once you receive the warning letter from the licensing agency, you must contact our office to obtain a release.
If your license is suspended because of your child support debt, call or come into the Stanislaus County office during regular business hours. We will work with you to make payment arrangements and may be able to release any state issued license.
You may also contact your caseworker at (866) 901-3212 to discuss the release of your license.
It can take up to two weeks after DCSS submits a request to a licensing agency for the release of your license to be processed. Therefore it is important that you contact our office as soon as you are aware that your license will be suspended in order to avoid delays.
Your license can be resubmitted for suspension after 45 days of no or partial payment. To guarantee that your license will not be suspended please make your child support payment in full each month. If there has been a change in circumstances that may warrant a change in your monthly child support obligation, you may request your case be reviewed for a potential change in your court ordered child support amount.
