5. The court shall suspend or revoke a license if it finds that: a. all appropriate enforcement methods have been exhausted, b. the obligor is the holder of a license, c. the requisite child support arrearage amount exists, health care coverage has not been provided as ordered pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1996, c.7 (C. 2A:17-56.41), or there has been no response to a subpoena, d. no motion to modify the child support order, filed prior to the date that the notice of the license suspension or revocation was sent by the Probation Division, is pending before the court, and e. there is no equitable reason, such as involuntary unemployment, disability, or compliance with a court-ordered plan for the periodic payment of the child support arrearage amount, for the obligor’s non-compliance with the child support order.

If the court is satisfied that these conditions exist, it shall first consider suspending or revoking a driver’s license prior to a professional license. If the obligor fails to appear at the hearing after being properly served with notice, the court shall order the suspension or revocation of all licenses held by the obligor. In the case of a driver’s license, if the court finds that the license revocation or suspension will result in a significant hardship to the obligor, to the obligor’s legal dependents under 18 years of age living in the obligor’s household, to the obligor’s employees, or to persons, businesses or entities to whom the obligor provides goods or services, the court may allow the obligor to pay 25% of the past-due child support amount within three working days of the hearing, establish a payment schedule to satisfy the remainder of the arrearages within one year, and require that the obligor comply with any current child support obligation. If the obligor agrees to this arrangement, no suspension or revocation of any licenses shall be ordered. Compliance with the payment agreement shall be monitored by the Probation Division. If the obligor has good cause for not complying with the payment agreement within the time permitted, the obligor shall immediately file a motion with the court and the Probation Division requesting an extension of the payment plan. The court may extend the payment plan if it is satisfied that the obligor has made a good faith effort to comply with the plan and is unable to satisfy the full amount of past-due support within the time permitted due to circumstances beyond the obligor’s control. In no case shall a payment plan extend beyond the date the dependent child reaches the age of 18. If the obligor fails to comply with the court-ordered payment schedule, the court shall, upon receipt of a certification of non-compliance from the obligee or Probation Division, and without further hearing, order the immediate revocation or suspension of all licenses held by the obligor. If required by existing law or regulation, the court shall order that the obligor surrender the license to the issuing authority within 30 days of the date of the order.

L.1996,c.7,s.5; amended 1998, c.1, s.29.