Section 13353.2 Of Article 3. Suspension And Revocation By Department From California Vehicle Code >> Division 6. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.
13353.2
. (a) The department shall immediately suspend the privilege
of a person to operate a motor vehicle for any one of the following
reasons:
(1) The person was driving a motor vehicle when the person had
0.08 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood.
(2) The person was under 21 years of age and had a blood-alcohol
concentration of 0.01 percent or greater, as measured by a
preliminary alcohol screening test, or other chemical test.
(3) The person was driving a vehicle that requires a commercial
driver's license when the person had 0.04 percent or more, by weight,
of alcohol in his or her blood.
(4) The person was driving a motor vehicle when both of the
following applied:
(A) The person was on probation for a violation of Section 23152
or 23153.
(B) The person had 0.01 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in
his or her blood, as measured by a preliminary alcohol screening test
or other chemical test.
(b) The notice of the order of suspension under this section shall
be served on the person by a peace officer pursuant to Section 13382
or 13388. The notice of the order of suspension shall be on a form
provided by the department. If the notice of the order of suspension
has not been served upon the person by the peace officer pursuant to
Section 13382 or 13388, upon the receipt of the report of a peace
officer submitted pursuant to Section 13380, the department shall
mail written notice of the order of the suspension to the person at
the last known address shown on the department's records and, if the
address of the person provided by the peace officer's report differs
from the address of record, to that address.
(c) The notice of the order of suspension shall specify clearly
the reason and statutory grounds for the suspension, the effective
date of the suspension, the right of the person to request an
administrative hearing, the procedure for requesting an
administrative hearing, and the date by which a request for an
administrative hearing shall be made in order to receive a
determination prior to the effective date of the suspension.
(d) The department shall make a determination of the facts in
subdivision (a) on the basis of the report of a peace officer
submitted pursuant to Section 13380. The determination of the facts,
after administrative review pursuant to Section 13557, by the
department is final, unless an administrative hearing is held
pursuant to Section 13558 and any judicial review of the
administrative determination after the hearing pursuant to Section
13559 is final.
(e) The determination of the facts in subdivision (a) is a civil
matter that is independent of the determination of the person's guilt
or innocence, shall have no collateral estoppel effect on a
subsequent criminal prosecution, and shall not preclude the
litigation of the same or similar facts in the criminal proceeding.
If a person is acquitted of criminal charges relating to a
determination of facts under subdivision (a), or if the person's
driver's license was suspended pursuant to Section 13388 and the
department finds no basis for a suspension pursuant to that section,
the department shall immediately reinstate the person's privilege to
operate a motor vehicle if the department has suspended it
administratively pursuant to subdivision (a), and the department
shall return or reissue for the remaining term any driver's license
that has been taken from the person pursuant to Section 13382 or
otherwise. Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 13558, if
criminal charges under Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 are not filed
by the district attorney because of a lack of evidence, or if those
charges are filed but are subsequently dismissed by the court because
of an insufficiency of evidence, the person has a renewed right to
request an administrative hearing before the department. The request
for a hearing shall be made within one year from the date of arrest.
(f) The department shall furnish a form that requires a detailed
explanation specifying which evidence was defective or lacking and
detailing why that evidence was defective or lacking. The form shall
be made available to the person to provide to the district attorney.
The department shall hold an administrative hearing, and the hearing
officer shall consider the reasons for the failure to prosecute given
by the district attorney on the form provided by the department. If
applicable, the hearing officer shall consider the reasons stated on
the record by a judge who dismisses the charges. A fee shall not be
imposed pursuant to Section 14905 for the return or reissuing of a
driver's license pursuant to this subdivision. The disposition of a
suspension action under this section does not affect an action to
suspend or revoke the person's privilege to operate a motor vehicle
under another provision of this code, including, but not limited to,
Section 13352 or 13353, or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 13800).