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New DMV Handbook Will Remind Drivers Of Civil Rights During Traffic Stops

SACRAMENTO (CBS Sacramento/CBSLA) — The DMV will now remind California drivers of their civil rights during traffic stops, including how to file a complaint against a peace officer, after Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2918 over the weekend.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles was already required to provide a driver's handbook with information regarding rail safety, abandoning or dumping an animal on a highway, and respecting the right-of-way of others. Now, the handbook must include a driver's rights if a peace officer pulls over a car.

The bill states:

Information regarding a person's civil rights during a traffic stop. The information shall address the extent and limitations of a peace officer's authority during a traffic stop and the legal rights of drivers and passengers, including, but not limited to, the right to file complaints against a peace officer. The information to be included in the handbook shall be developed by the civil rights section of the Department of Justice in consultation with the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, and civil rights organizations, including community-based organizations.

The information will be included in the Driver's Handbook the next time it is revised or reprinted.

AB 2918 was introduced by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) in February. You can read the full bill here.

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