Tips for Dealing with GC Services and 40509.5 Holds in LA
Summary: How to clear drivers license holds in LA County Traffic Courts
If you have an old traffic court case in LA that the court has referred to the private collection agency GC Services, you probably have a drivers license suspension as well.
This is because the court issues a vehicle code section 40509.5 drivers license hold to DMV on traffic court cases with a failure to appear charge right before they give the case to GC Services. The vehicle code section 40509.5 hold causes DMV to suspend the persons drivers license until the court releases the hold.
If you try to solve a problem like this on your own by talking with GC Services, they probably will tell you that you must pay their claimed debt in full before your license gets reinstated.
However, there is a way to get the Vehicle Code 40509.5 holds removed in some cases without paying the fine in advance in LA Courthouses. This is because the court will release most 40509.5 holds once a court date is set.
Here are some tips that can help you get it done:
1. Call the DMV driver safety office to find out the case number and courthouse name. Or use the LA Court's web site to look up your case #;
2. Call the applicable court clerk and ask them in person if you still have the right to a court date. Usually a failure to appear charge will still allow a court date, but a failure to pay after a person has plead guilty will not get a court date. Do not trust GC Services if they say you do not have a right to a court date, go to the court clerk for info;
3. Go to the courthouse and ask the court clerk in person to schedule your case for a court date. Once you get a court date, ask the court clerk to release the drivers license hold (they will if you ask in person after setting a court date);
4. If the court clerk will not release the hold, go to the court date and ask the judge to release the hold. (Even if you decide to plead not guilty, you can ask).
5. Once the hold is released, go to DMV in person to get your license reinstated by paying the reinstatement fee.
An attorney can do this work for you, and in many cases, it makes good economic sense to have help if you need your drivers license back quick. In some cases, an attorney can get a VC 405095. hold removed within days. Request a free case review to find out how our sponsor attorney can help.
-C. Dot, Esq.
This is because the court issues a vehicle code section 40509.5 drivers license hold to DMV on traffic court cases with a failure to appear charge right before they give the case to GC Services. The vehicle code section 40509.5 hold causes DMV to suspend the persons drivers license until the court releases the hold.
If you try to solve a problem like this on your own by talking with GC Services, they probably will tell you that you must pay their claimed debt in full before your license gets reinstated.
However, there is a way to get the Vehicle Code 40509.5 holds removed in some cases without paying the fine in advance in LA Courthouses. This is because the court will release most 40509.5 holds once a court date is set.
Here are some tips that can help you get it done:
1. Call the DMV driver safety office to find out the case number and courthouse name. Or use the LA Court's web site to look up your case #;
2. Call the applicable court clerk and ask them in person if you still have the right to a court date. Usually a failure to appear charge will still allow a court date, but a failure to pay after a person has plead guilty will not get a court date. Do not trust GC Services if they say you do not have a right to a court date, go to the court clerk for info;
3. Go to the courthouse and ask the court clerk in person to schedule your case for a court date. Once you get a court date, ask the court clerk to release the drivers license hold (they will if you ask in person after setting a court date);
4. If the court clerk will not release the hold, go to the court date and ask the judge to release the hold. (Even if you decide to plead not guilty, you can ask).
5. Once the hold is released, go to DMV in person to get your license reinstated by paying the reinstatement fee.
An attorney can do this work for you, and in many cases, it makes good economic sense to have help if you need your drivers license back quick. In some cases, an attorney can get a VC 405095. hold removed within days. Request a free case review to find out how our sponsor attorney can help.
-C. Dot, Esq.
