Driving privilege: suspension.

Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person to willfully violate their written promise to appear or a lawfully granted continuance of their promise to appear in court or before a person authorized to receive a deposit of bail, and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to suspend the driving privilege of that person upon receipt of notification of that violation from a court. Existing law generally authorizes a court to notify the DMV of a violation of a written promise to appear or a lawfully granted continuance of their promise to appear in court or before a person authorized to receive a deposit of bail, and requires a court to notify the DMV of such a violation when a person is charged with specified offenses related to driving under the influence. Existing law prohibits the department from issuing or renewing a driver's license to a person when it has received one of these notices. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2027, repeal that requirement of the DMV to suspend a person's driving privilege, would terminate any suspension issued by the DMV pursuant to those provisions prior to January 1, 2027, and would remove the prohibition from issuing or renewing a driver's license. The bill would repeal the above-described authorization and requirement that the court notify the DMV of a violation of a written promise to appear or a lawfully granted continuance of their promise to appear in court or before a person authorized to receive a deposit of bail. The bill would make other conforming changes. Existing law prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle upon a highway, unless the person holds a valid driver's license, except as specified. A violation of this provision is a misdemeanor. This bill would, instead, make a violation of this provision an infraction for a first or 2nd offense, except as specified, and a misdemeanor or an infraction for subsequent violations.