The Florida Senate

322.251  Notice of cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification of license.--

(1)  All orders of cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification issued under the provisions of this chapter, chapter 318, chapter 324, or ss. 627.732-627.734 shall be given either by personal delivery thereof to the licensee whose license is being canceled, suspended, revoked, or disqualified or by deposit in the United States mail in an envelope, first class, postage prepaid, addressed to the licensee at his or her last known mailing address furnished to the department. Such mailing by the department constitutes notification, and any failure by the person to receive the mailed order will not affect or stay the effective date or term of the cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification of the licensee's driving privilege.

(2)  The giving of notice and an order of cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification by mail is complete upon expiration of 20 days after deposit in the United States mail. Proof of the giving of notice and an order of cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification in either such manner shall be made by entry in the records of the department that such notice was given. Such entry shall be admissible in the courts of this state and shall constitute sufficient proof that such notice was given.

(3)  Whenever the driving privilege is suspended, revoked, or disqualified under the provisions of this chapter, the period of such suspension, revocation, or disqualification shall be indicated on the order of suspension, revocation, or disqualification, and the department shall require the licensee whose driving privilege is suspended, revoked, or disqualified to surrender all licenses then held by him or her to the department. However, should the person fail to surrender such licenses, the suspension, revocation, or disqualification period shall not expire until a period identical to the period for which the driving privilege was suspended, revoked, or disqualified has expired after the date of surrender of the licenses, or the date an affidavit swearing such licenses are lost has been filed with the department. In any instance where the suspension, revocation, or disqualification order is mailed as provided herein, and the license is not surrendered to the department, and such license thereafter expires, the department shall not renew that license until a period of time identical to the period of such suspension, revocation, or disqualification imposed has expired.

(4)  A person whose privilege to operate a commercial motor vehicle is temporarily disqualified may, upon surrendering his or her commercial driver's license, be issued a Class D or Class E driver's license, valid for the length of his or her unexpired commercial driver's license, at no cost. Such person may, upon the completion of his or her disqualification, be issued a commercial driver's license, of the type disqualified, for the remainder of his or her unexpired license period. Any such person shall pay the reinstatement fee provided in s. 322.12 before being issued a commercial driver's license.

(5)  A person whose privilege to operate a commercial motor vehicle is permanently disqualified may, upon surrendering his or her commercial driver's license, be issued a Class D or Class E driver's license, if he or she is otherwise qualified to receive such license. Any such person shall be issued a Class D or Class E license, valid for the remainder of his or her unexpired license period, at no cost.

(6)  Whenever a cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification occurs, the department shall enter the cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification order on the licensee's driver file 20 days after the notice was actually placed in the mail. Any inquiry into the file after the 20-day period shall reveal that the license is canceled, suspended, revoked, or disqualified and whether the license has been received by the department.

History.--s. 5, ch. 59-278; ss. 24, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 78-37; s. 1, ch. 80-158; s. 1, ch. 82-20; s. 561, ch. 82-243; s. 1, ch. 84-265; s. 20, ch. 89-282; s. 413, ch. 95-148.