LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeVehicle CodeDiv. 7Ch. 2Art. 2§ 16381 Driver License Suspension Default

§ 16381 Driver License Suspension Default

Vehicle Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 16381 Driver License Suspension Default

This law says if someone owes money from a court order and misses a payment, the court can tell the DMV to suspend their driver's license until they pay up. The person who is owed money has to pay a fee to the court first.

Key Takeaways

  • •If you owe money from a court order and miss a payment, your driver's license can be suspended.
  • •The person you owe money to has to pay a court fee first.
  • •Your license stays suspended until you pay what you owe.

Example

John was ordered by the court to pay Mary $1,000 in small payments. He missed a payment.

Mary can pay a fee to the court, and the court will tell the DMV to suspend John's driver's license until he pays what he owes.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 16381 Driver License Suspension Default

In the event that it is made to appear to the court that the judgment debtor has failed to pay any installment as permitted by the order of the court, upon the payment of required fees by the judgment creditor, the court shall give notice of the default to the department and the department shall forthwith suspend the driving privilege of the judgment debtor until the judgment is satisfied as provided in this chapter. The court shall determine the required fees, which shall be commensurate with the cost incurred by the court in carrying out the provisions of this section. (Amended by Stats. 1981, Ch. 362, Sec. 3.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

judgment debtorinstallmentrequired feesdriving privilegejudgment creditor

Related Statutes

  • § 16373 Judgment Creditor Document Request
  • § 13201 Driver License Suspension Offenses
  • § 13202.5 Underage Driving Privilege Suspension
  • § 13208 Court Recommendation For License Review
  • § 16371 License Suspension Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Vehicle Code. Section 16381.
View Official Source