On November 25, 2024, the Department issued a final order in response to a petition for rule variance or waiver filed by the Traffic Safety Institute at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. The petition, which was ....
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES
RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:
15A-10.002Definitions
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles hereby gives notice: On November 25, 2024, the Department issued a final order in response to a petition for rule variance or waiver filed by the Traffic Safety Institute at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. The petition, which was received by the Department on September 13, 2024, and noticed in Vol. 50, No. 188, of the Florida Administrative Register on September 25, 2024, requested a waiver of or variance from subsection 15A-10.002(33), Fla. Admin. Code, which requires that a DUI program's business offices remain accessible Monday through Friday, during regular business hours, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The DUI program filing the petition, Traffic Safety Institute at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, requested a variance or waiver to open its Bradenton office on Mondays from 12:00 noon - 7:00 p.m. and its Sarasota office on Wednesdays from 12:00 noon - 7:00 p.m. Its business offices would be open other days from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Petitioner cited staff shortages, safety concerns of having offices staffed by a single person at times, and accommodation of DUI and ignition interlock clients who often request evening appointments as justification for the variance sought. The Department carefully considered the petition and found it demonstrated that application of subsection 15A-10.002(33), Fla. Admin. Code, creates a substantial hardship and that the underlying purpose of the rule has or will be achieved by Petitioner through its proposed schedule of office hours.
A copy of the Order or additional information may be obtained by contacting: Kathy Jimenez-Morales, Chief Counsel, Driver Licenses, Office of General Counsel, 2900 Apalachee Pkwy, Rm A-432, MS 02, Tallahassee, FL 32399, kathyjimenez@flhsmv.gov, (850)617-3101.
