# Withdrawal of Application (a) An applicant may withdraw an application for a license. The withdrawal of the application shall be in writing. (1) The fee for processing the application shall be forfeited. (b) As specified in Health and Safety Code Section 1596.854, the Department has the authority to take action against an applicant even if the applicant has withdrawn an application for a license. {% hint style="info" %} Health and Safety Code Section 1596.854 provides in part: The withdrawal of an application for a license ... after it has been filed with the department shall not, unless the department consents in writing to the withdrawal, deprive the department of its authority to institute or continue a proceeding against the applicant for the denial of the license ... upon any ground provided by law or to enter an order denying the license ... upon any such ground. {% endhint %} > NOTE: Authority cited: Section 1596.81, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Sections 1596.803 and 1596.854, Health and Safety Code. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://t22.caqualityearlylearning.org/application-procedures/withdrawal-of-application.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.