The department may conduct an investigation to determine whether the privilege of any person to operate a motor vehicle should be suspended or revoked or whether terms or conditions of probation should be imposed upon receiving information or upon a showing by its records:

(a) That the licensee has been involved as a driver in an accident causing death or personal injury or serious damage to property.

Terms Used In California Vehicle Code 13800

  • Alcoholic beverage: includes any liquid or solid material intended to be ingested by a person which contains ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol, or alcohol, including, but not limited to, alcoholic beverages as defined in §. See California Vehicle Code 109
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Department: means the Department of Motor Vehicles except, when used in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 2100) of Division 2 and in Divisions 11 (commencing with Section 21000), 12 (commencing with Section 24000), 13 (commencing with Section 29000), 14 (commencing with Section 31600), 14. See California Vehicle Code 290
  • driver: is a person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 305
  • drug: means any substance or combination of substances, other than alcohol, which could so affect the nervous system, brain, or muscles of a person as to impair, to an appreciable degree, his ability to drive a vehicle in the manner that an ordinarily prudent and cautious man, in full possession of his faculties, using reasonable care, would drive a similar vehicle under like conditions. See California Vehicle Code 312
  • motor vehicle: includes a recreational vehicle as that term is defined in subdivision (a) of §. See California Vehicle Code 415
  • Person: includes a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Vehicle Code 470
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • vehicle: is a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See California Vehicle Code 670

(b) That the licensee has been involved in three or more accidents within a period of 12 consecutive months.

(c) That the person in three consecutive years has committed three or more offenses that have resulted in convictions involving the consumption of an alcoholic beverage or drug, or both, while operating a motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, offenses under Section 23103.5, 23152, 23153, 23222, or 23224; has been involved in three or more crashes in which the crash reports show that the person was driving and had consumed alcoholic beverages or drugs, or both; or had any combination of three or more of those offenses and crashes.

(d) That the licensee is a reckless, negligent, or incompetent driver of a motor vehicle.

(e) That the licensee has permitted an unlawful or fraudulent use of their driver’s license.

(f) That any ground exists for which a license might be refused. The receipt by the department of an abstract of the record of conviction of any offense involving the use or possession of narcotic controlled substances under Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code shall be a sufficient basis for an investigation by the department to determine whether grounds exist for which a license might be refused.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 81, Sec. 3. (AB 2198) Effective January 1, 2023.)