Driver Safety Hearing Officer
California State Personnel Board Specification
Definition
This specification describes a classification used in the Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) Driver Safety Program for prelicensing and postlicensing control of the driving privilege. As triers of facts, incumbents review financial responsibility and driver records; conduct interviews, reexaminations, and hearings relative to the modification, reinstatement, granting, or withdrawal of the driving privilege in cases involving drivers with physical or mental problems, negligent vehicle operation, fraudulent activity, or noncompliance with the Administrative Per Se statute; function in a lead capacity; and do other related work.
Positions allocated to the Driver Safety Hearing Officer class are located in a regional or headquarters setting. Driver Safety Hearing Officer is a multi-range deep class. As incumbents gain experience in this classification, and in accordance with established procedures, they are assigned progressively more complex difficult work performed within the Driver Safety Program. Upon appointment to the classification, incumbents progress from the entry level of very basic hearings to the full range of hearings, reexaminations, and interviews. These duties include, but are not limited to, conducting Commercial Driver, Financial Responsibility, Physical/Mental, Negligent Operator, Administrative Per Se, or Seizure and Sale and Special Certificate hearings; and functioning in a lead capacity.
Typical Tasks
Under direction, conduct hearings, interviews, and reexaminations, and rule on various legal matters; review and interpret various administrative, medical, and legal documents to verify accuracy and to determine how the information affects the decision to take an action against the driving privilege, issuance of certificates, and endorsements; in accordance with statute, case law, policy and procedures, obtain and verify evidence to make findings of fact to determine if an action against a driving privilege should be taken; prepare a legally sufficient report detailing case issues, findings, and decisions; and issue appropriate orders and notices of decision.
All incumbents are expected to understand the application of laws, administrative procedures, rules of evidence, and regulations relating
to the types of hearings, interviews, and reexaminations conducted and to develop skills in report writing, interviewing, and interpersonal communication.
Incumbents in all ranges make public presentations related to the Driver Safety Program.
Minimum Qualifications
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 1040, fingerprint/criminal record clearance is required for these positions, and to be eligible for appointment. and
Possession of a valid driver license of the appropriate class issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. (Applicants who do not possess a license will be admitted to the examination but must secure the license prior to appointment.) and
EITHER i
Education: Equivalent to graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university, preferably with a degree in criminal justice, prelaw, psychology, sociology, or a related field. (Registration as a senior in a recognized institution will admit applicants to the examination, but they must produce evidence of graduation or its equivalent before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)
or ii
Education: Successful completion of the equivalent of nine semester units of college, which must have included at least one course in English composition and two courses in psychology, sociology, or a related field. and
Experience: One year of experience in the Department of Motor Vehicles performing the duties of a Licensing/Registration Examiner or Senior Motor Vehicle Technician. (Additional college education may be substituted for the required general experience on the basis of one year of education being equivalent to six months of general experience.) or
Experience: Two years of experience in the Department of Motor Vehicles with 18 months of that experience performing the duties of a Motor Vehicle Representative, Range C. (Additional college education may be substituted for the required general experience on the basis of one year of education being equivalent to six months of general experience.)
Or III
Education: Equivalent to completion of two years (60 semester units or 90 quarter units) of college education which must include at least one course in English composition and two courses in psychology, sociology, or a related field. (Students in their second year of college will be admitted to the examination, but they must produce evidence of completion of the required 60 semester or 90 quarter units before they can be considered eligible for appointment.) and
Experience: One year of experience in the Department of Motor Vehicles performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility comparable to that of at least a Motor Vehicle Assistant, Range B, or Motor Vehicle Representative, Range B. (Additional college education may be substituted for the required general experience on the basis of one year of education being equivalent to six months of general experience.) or
Experience: Two years of experience in the Department of Motor Vehicles with at least 18 months of that experience performing duties of a class with a level of responsibility comparable to that of at least an Office Assistant, Range B. (Additional college education may be substituted for the required general experience on the basis of one year of education being equivalent to six months of general experience.)
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of: Rules of Evidence, Administrative Law, applicable case law, hearing procedures, and practices; spelling, grammar, punctuation, and modern English usage; effective writing and interviewing techniques; basic arithmetic; effective usage of modern office equipment; provisions of the California Vehicle Code; rules, regulations, and policies of the Department of Motor Vehicles relating to driver licenses, traffic laws, and financial responsibility requirements; medical terminology; principles, procedures, and practices relating to driver control and driver safety; departmental technical hearing procedures relating to driver licenses and methods of examination; physical and mental disabilities as they relate to driving performance; rules of evidence and regulations relating to the types of hearings, interviews, and reexaminations conducted; and appropriate provisions of Administrative Law, Government Code, the Code of Civil Procedures, and rules governing the admissibility of evidence, as they apply to the conduct of Administrative Per Se and other hearings and Departmental Reviews and Quality Control Reviews.
Ability to: Interpret and apply statutes and applicable case law, regulations, and policies relating to driver licenses and traffic safety; interpret and apply financial responsibility requirements; establish and maintain cooperative relations with persons contacted concerning driver safety work and procedures; conduct departmental hearings, interviews, and driver license reexaminations relating to issuance and control of driver licenses; work independently; communicate effectively; examine and cross-examine witnesses, rule on motions and objectives, weigh evidence, identify facts, resolve issues of credibility, identify appropriate law, apply law to facts, and make objective and impartial decisions based solely upon the merits of the case; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; exercise sound judgment in applying rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and laws; and maintain the confidentiality of information.
Special Personal Characteristics
Demonstrated willingness to accept, and an aptitude for, increasing responsibility; desire to pursue on-the-job training; a willingness to travel to various hearing points and/or resident hearing locations; and possession of a good driving record which includes no convictions within the past three years for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, hit and run, reckless driving, or manslaughter. A good driving record also includes not being a negligent operator, and having no Administrative Per Se suspensions within the past three years, no Financial Responsibility suspensions within the past three years, no failures to answer a signed promise to appear, and no failures to pay a lawfully imposed fine, affecting the status of their driving privilege. If a person has failed to answer his/her signed promise to appear or has failed to pay a lawfully imposed fine, he/she will not be hired until the court case has been cleared.
Well-developed interpersonal skills including sensitivity, patience, and flexibility in order to communicate with internal and external customers in a friendly, courteous, and efficient manner.
Incumbents are expected to be dependable and punctual to provide quality customer service.
Incumbents who have contact with internal and external customers are expected to present a business-like image.
