Getting pulled over with a suspended license could prove calamitous when you are unaware of the suspension. Besides various penalties, you can’t drive peacefully after getting a suspended driving license.
That is why you should know how to get driving with a suspended license dismissed through emergencies, clerical issues, and unawareness of the suspended license. But before dropping the suspended driving license, we’ll first discuss what a suspended license is.
What do you mean by driving with a Suspended License?
In the simplest terms, the suspended license means that legally you are not allowed to drive for a certain amount of time. But you can drive fearlessly once you meet your sentences and get your driving license back.
3 Ways How to get Driving with Suspended License Dismissed
When you are getting pulled over with a suspended license, then you may be able to dismiss the suspended driving license in the case of the following situations.
1. Emergency Cases
Sometimes when your car gets pulled over with a suspended license, the traffic police give you a ticket without knowing the exact reason, like any urgent situation, etc.
In such cases, you can dismiss the driver with a suspended license by informing the police of the immediate situation. For example, you could say that you were driving swiftly just due to an emergency, such as
- To pick up a student.
- To rush a patient to the hospital.
- To attend an urgent meeting etc.
Since they did not know the reason for your reckless driving, they may charge you. But after notifying them of the actual situation, they can let you go away.
2. You were not aware of your Suspended License
If you don’t know that your driving license is suspended, your attorney can file a motion stating the valid reason. Through this motion, your attorney will let you know several ways how to get your driving on suspended dropped. For instance, you should have been informed of the suspended license at your correct address.
However, it would be best if you kept in mind that this way is very rare to get a suspended license dropped. But still, you have a chance to try your luck in dismissing the charges and reinstating your license.
See Also: How Many Interlock Violations Can You Have
3. Clerical Errors
Exceptions always exist. That is why there are possibilities for the DMV to make mistakes.
In this way, you have a chance to get the suspended driving license dismissed by any means:
- You have already corrected your suspended driving license.
- The DMV has not corrected it in its record.
- Your data was accurate at the time of charges but now contains mistakes.
Then you can request to get the charges dismissed on the grounds of clerical issues. It is a valid reason to apply for the dismissal of the charges because administrative issues are not acceptable in legal works.
Things that the Prosecutor can use to convict you of Driving with a Suspended License
A prosecutor can come up with several factors to claim that you are convicted of driving with a suspended license. But the most common reasons due which you are getting pulled over with a suspended license include the following:
- The prosecutor comes to know that you are aware of your suspended license. But you did not make any effort to reinstate it.
- The traffic police pulled over your car due to reckless driving.
- You were stopped for investigating the violation of traffic rules. And at that time, the police caught you with a suspended driving license.
Under these situations, you can’t deny or defend yourself from the charges because the prosecution holds robust evidence against you. But you can search for how to get driving with a suspended license dismissed methods.
Consequently, through these methods, your attorney can help you escape the horrible trials.
Also Read: How to Beat a Red Light Camera Ticket
Penalty For Driving With a Suspended Driving License
Driving with a suspended license is a misdemeanor and can charge you with hefty fines and longtime jails.
Every state has its own rules and regulations. Similarly, the range of the penalties they charge can also vary. Accordingly, here we have taken the example of Florida.
So having this in mind, let us go through some of the penalties for driving with a suspended license in Florida.
- If you are accused for the first time with a suspended driving license, then the possible penalty for you could be 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
- If you are caught for the second time, you could be charged with a year in jail and a class one misdemeanor.
- However, if you get pulled over for the third time, you could be charged with 5 years of jail time and a $5000 fine and Habitual Traffic Offender.
Also Check: How Long Before an Unpaid Ticket Becomes a Warrant
How Can You Know If Your Driving License Is Suspended?
Irrespective of the state, here you can have a clear idea of the ways that could make your driving license suspended.
- Check out your driving license. If you face any difficulty in connecting, then it indeed has something wrong. That is why in such a case, you should take help from an expert in this field to help you know the reason.
- Reach out to the DDS (Department of Driver Services) or DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to inquire about the suspension of your driving license.
- Check out any mail regarding your suspended driving license.
- If you commit any offense like escaping from the police, not helping accident affectees, illegally using vehicles, etc.
- You should also keep an eye on your vehicle insurance. So if it’s outdated, then you should renew it.
Although these are the ways to know if your driving license has been suspended, I advise that finding out your license suspension varies from state to state. Therefore you should expand beyond just these ways.
Hi, I’m Brian Gary; I have my Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degree from SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas. Over the years, I have dealt with many families and successful corporate Legal cases. I have counseled many people on legal matters, and along with my profession, I write about Law on my blog. Please feel free to contact me for counseling/case discussion; I’ll be happy to help you.