DMV Writs
Issue 2.4 : March 2008
DMV Writs Articles
A Fancy Way to Say Appeal
Most people are familiar with the term "appeal." When a defendant loses a trial, she may appeal it by asking a higher court to overturn her conviction. To overturn a DMV suspension, a motorist may appeal it by asking a superior court judge to issue a writ.
"Writ" is another word for "order." A writ is a kind of order from a court telling a government body like a school board or DMV to reverse a decision. The fancy legal term is writ of mandate or writ of mandamus following the Latin convention. Where the writ is directed to an administrative agency like DMV, it is often called a writ of administrative mandamus. Whether you prefer the Latin or not, a DMV writ is an order signed by a judge telling DMV to reverse one it its decisions—usually a license suspension.