An OMNI hold is a hold on a driver license that is placed by a court or law enforcement agency. This hold prevents the driver from renewing their license until the outstanding traffic tickets or other debts are resolved.
OMNI stands for “Outstanding Motorist Needs Identification.” The OMNI program is a statewide system that is used to track drivers who have outstanding traffic tickets or other debts. The program is administered by the Texas Departmenof Public Safety (DPS).
How Does an OMNI Hold Work?
Remove An Omni Hold On Driver License
When a driver receives a traffic ticket, they are given a court date to appear. If the driver does not appear in court, a warrant may be issued for their arrest. The warrant is then entered into the OMNI database.
If the driver attempts to renew their driver license, DPS will check the OMNI database. If the driver has an outstanding warrant, their license will be denied. The driver will then need to resolve the outstanding warrant before they can renew their license.
What Happens if I Have an OMNI Hold on My Driver License?
Once an omni hold is placed on your license you have to be careful about removing it. Many websites on and information listed on google say that you need to pay any court costs, fines and fees related to old tickets in order to remove the hold. This is not good advice. If you simply pay your old tickets, then each case you paid will become a permanent conviction on your driving record. These convictions can then be used by DPS to suspend your driving privileges before you even get them back. This is due to the fact that DPS keeps track of every driver’s driving history. If a person receives too many traffic convictions in too short of a time, then DPS will issue a notice of suspension. When you pay off a batch of old tickets all at once, that can trigger this automatic suspension notice by DPS.
For example, say that a person has 3 old tickets with omni holds. Each ticket is for a past speeding offense that was issued years apart. All the tickets are paid off on the same day. To the DPS system, it looks like a person received and was convicted of each speeding offense on the same day. DPS will then send a suspension notice to the driver for being a habitual violator of traffic laws, when that really wasn’t the case at all.
How To Handle OMNI holds the Correct Way
The correct way to resolve holds on your license due to outstanding traffic tickets is to have an attorney send in paperwork that removes any possible warrants and requests a pretrial hearing. At this hearing, the case can either be dismissed or a deal can be negotiated that allows you to pay any fines and costs associated with the traffic ticket without the offenses being reported to DPS as convictions. By taking this method you accomplish removing the hold while also protecting your driving record and driving privileges.
Conclusion
If you have an OMNI hold on your driver license, it is important to resolve it as soon as possible. This will allow you to renew your license and drive legally.
If you are unable to resolve the OMNI hold on your own, you may want to contact an attorney. An attorney can help you to understand your rights and options, and they can represent you in court.
The Beltz Law Firm has a team of experienced attorneys who can help you to remove an OMNI hold from your driver license. We will work with you to resolve the outstanding warrant and get your license reinstated.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. We will review your case and discuss your options in detail.
