License Suspensions

License suspension is a serious matter that can significantly impact your daily life and freedom of mobility. Understanding the common reasons for license suspensions and the consequences of suspensions is important for every driver.

Suspensions can result from various issues, such as from accumulating several traffic violations, driving under the influence (DUI), or failing to pay fines. The consequences of driving with a suspended license can be severe, including additional fines, extended suspension periods, and even potential jail time. Furthermore, a suspension on your record can lead to higher insurance rates. Knowing how to check if your license is suspended is essential to avoid these consequences. With online resources and direct contact with your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you can easily stay informed about your license status. This guide will walk you through the common causes of license suspensions, the penalties involved, and practical steps to verify your license status, ensuring you maintain your driving privileges.

What is a License Suspension?

The privilege of driving a car is gained once someone passes their driving tests. Maintaining it means to drive in accordance with traffic rules. As soon as a person is convicted of serious road violations that add up on their driving record, their driver’s license could be suspended. Although license suspensions were originally meant to make the roads safer by punishing unsafe motorists, they’re currently used for broader purposes, for instance, as a punishment for non-driving crimes, including failure to pay child support or parking fines. Related or not to road safety, a license suspension is a separate legal action from other court cases. For example, if driving privileges are suspended because of a court order related to a conviction like Failure to Appear, the driver has to resolve the criminal charges before officially seeking license reinstatement. Apart from suspension, motorists risk having their car insurance costs increased, and their car booted.

Common Reasons for License Suspension

Regardless of how often you use your vehicle, a driver's license suspension is not a sanction you want. If your driver's license is suspended, you will lose your driving privileges, even for a short time. In addition to the loss, you may also have to undergo multiple legal obligations to restore your driving privileges. Some of the reasons why your license may be suspended include:

Accumulation of Traffic Violations

Many states in the United States employ a point system to track driving violations. If you accumulate too many points within a specified period, your license may be suspended. States assign different point values to traffic violations, with more serious offenses carrying higher point values. If you have been issued multiple speeding tickets and citations for running red lights, these violations accumulate and may result in a figure high enough to impact your driving privileges. For instance, if you accumulate four points in 12 months or six points in 24 months, the California DMV will suspend your driver's license for six months.

Non-compliance with Insurance Requirements

Nearly all states in the United States require motor vehicle drivers to carry a minimum amount of insurance to operate on the state's highways. This insurance provides financial protection and covers liabilities in case of accidents. Hence, if you are uninsured or underinsured, you may be fined by law enforcement and have your license suspended. Depending on previous violations and specific state laws, license suspensions for underinsurance or non-insurance may last up to a year or more. You may need to pay a reinstatement fee and provide evidence of coverage after completing the suspension period so that you may have your driving privileges restored.

DUI/DWI Offenses

Driving while impaired or under the influence of banned substances is a leading cause of motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Consequently, many states have per se limits defining the permissible blood alcohol content for motor vehicle drivers. In most jurisdictions, the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) limit for drivers is 0.08. For drivers under 21, many sets set the BAC limit at 0.02.

Depending on your state, an administrative license suspension may go into immediate effect or after a short period permitted for appeals. The period over which your license will be suspended or revoked depends on your state's DUI/DWI laws and may be affected by the level of your BAC and whether you had prior administrative or civil action taken against your driver's license. Note that you can only be convicted of a DUI after a prosecutor proves beyond reasonable doubt that you were guilty. A second or third DUI conviction may cause you to lose your driver's license for several years.

Furthermore, DUI laws are strict in some states, so much so that it is illegal to have any alcohol in the vehicle for drivers under the age of 21. Regardless of whether the alcohol was open, your driver's license may be suspended if you violate such a law.

Failure to Pay Fines or Child Support

All 50 states in the United States have provisions authorizing the revocation or suspension of licenses for failure to pay child support. Child support is the court-ordered financial obligation required of non-custodial parents to ensure the well-being of their children.

One of the targeted enforcement measures to ensure non-custodial parents meet their child custody obligations is imposing a driver's license suspension on defaulters . By suspending their licenses, this significantly restricts their ability to travel and forces compliance with the court order. Also, the professional licenses of defaulting parents may be suspended, impacting their professional careers. For instance, a fishing or hunting license may be suspended, underscoring the seriousness with which court-ordered financial obligations are enforced. Note that license suspensions do not occur immediately after missing a payment. It may take up to a month or more of being behind payment for license suspension to be imposed.

Consequences of Driving with a Suspended License

Operating a motor vehicle when your driver's license is suspended can lead to more serious consequences for the driver. Although the specific penalties may vary per state and the circumstances surrounding the case, typical penalties for driving with a suspended license include the following:

Additional Fines and Extended Suspension Periods

There are strict penalties for driving on a suspended license. Usually, the suspension period will be increased if you are caught driving when your license has expired. This extended period means a prolonged inconvenience for the drivers, potentially impacting their daily lives more severely. Ultimately, the license may be revoked depending on the circumstance in a case, meaning they would lose your driving license permanently. Also, the court may impose additional fines, which vary based on the reason for suspension and the number of previous offenses.

Potential for Jail Time

Driving on a suspended license may lead to serving time in prison. While this may not be a penalty issued to first-time offenders, the possibility of jail time is real-time for repeat offenders or those who committed a serious offense with a motor vehicle while driving on a suspended license. The length of incarceration varies depending on the reason for the license suspension, the number of previous offenses, and the specific laws in the state where the incident occurred.

Impact on Driving Record and Insurance Rates

Jail time, increased license suspension periods, and fines are not the only consequences for driving on a suspended license. If caught driving on a suspended license, it usually impacts your driving record by adding more points, which may lead to further suspension or a permanent loss of your driving privileges.

Insurance companies typically monitor driving records in carrying out risk assessments for drivers seeking coverage. If an insurance company assesses you as a high-risk driver due to the accumulated points on your driving record, they are likely to increase your insurance premiums significantly. Some may even cancel your policy, leaving you without insurance coverage and making it difficult to find affordable auto insurance coverage.

Obtaining "Hardship" or "Restricted" Driving Privileges

Depending on the circumstances of a suspension, a "Restricted" license is attainable, issued to help someone drive to and from certain places, within specific time frames during the suspension period. It comes with strict time and place limitations, usually related to strict work schedules, school, daycare, or healthcare reasons. For DUI/DWI offenders who have an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) installed, this could be a requirement for obtaining a "Restricted" license. In addition, some states require enrollment in a certified Drinking Driver Program.

Out-of-State License Suspensions

All U.S. states share information on license revocations, suspensions, cancellations, denials, and serious traffic violations through the Problem Driver Pointer System / National Driver Registry / or the Commercial Driver License Information System. There is no statute of limitations (time limit) regarding how long an active suspension remains listed and in effect.

A license suspension must be cleared exclusively by the state that originated it. Therefore, the driver who got their driving privileges suspended in another state must follow the reinstatement procedures from that state. Each case is assigned to a DMV Driver License Review caseworker. Once the process is completed, a clearance letter will be issued (often sent by mail) without them having to physically travel there. As soon as their record is cleared in the national Problem Driver Pointer System database, they can apply to obtain a driver's license in their state of residence.

How to Find Out If Your License Is Suspended

If you are unsure whether your license has been suspended, you may check with your state's DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) or its equivalent. Depending on the DMV resources in your state, you may be able to check if your license is suspended online or by mail. If your state's DMV provides online access, you may visit the DMV's website to enter your information (such as driver's license number, date of birth, and Social Security Number) to view your license status.

Alternatively, you may be able to find contact information on the DMV website for local DMV offices, which you may visit in person or call on a service line. Whether you are visiting in person or calling a line, you must be ready to provide relevant information that may be required. You may also need to bring an acceptable identification along with you.

In addition, you may check if your license is suspended by looking through your mail for notices originating from the DMV. Typically, state DMVs send out notifications to drivers before the expiration of licenses to inform them of impending renewals.

If you have access to your driving record, you can also review it to check if your license is suspended. Usually, your driver's license status is available on your driving record. Hence, you may request a copy of your record by mail, online, or in person at the DMV.

How Long Does a Suspended License Stay on Your Record?

The law regarding how long a suspended license stays on your record varies from state to state. For most states, the suspension may remain on your record for three to ten years, while for others and in certain circumstances, the record may be permanent.

The only way to check if a license suspension remains on your record is to perform a license suspension lookup. A license suspension lookup service may be available from your state's DMV office or website. Some third-party services also allow drivers to perform an online license suspension lookup via their websites for a fee.

License Reinstatement

Just because someone has accumulated a specific number of points on their driving record does not necessarily mean their license will be completely suspended by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) or a court of law. Reinstatement of driving privileges is not an automatic process, but it is very straightforward. The vehicle operator must comply and follow DMV reinstatement procedures until they physically receive a new license. The driver can also argue down some of the violations or request specific driving privileges by simply attending a DMV hearing, paying all their outstanding parking tickets, and paying a license reinstatement fee.

In many situations, it’s possible to obtain an amendment of the charge that will substantially minimize the penalties and the consequences related to the driver’s license. Debilitating fines, jail, and probation can all be lessened if someone faces a conviction for driving with a suspended license. In addition, in case the suspension lasted longer than one year, car users might have to conform to extra requirements such as passing written, vision, or driving skills tests.

Risks of Driving on while Suspended

It’s very important to be aware of the complications of driving while having a suspended license. If your driving privilege is no longer active, you can only operate a motor vehicle if you have a restricted driver’s license; otherwise, you risk facing steep fines of up to $5,000, jail time, license revocation, and losing your car altogether. In some states, this circumstance could elevate a DUI charge to an aggravated DUI.

What's the Difference Between Suspended and Revoked Licenses?

A suspended license differs from a revoked license in that it is a temporary withdrawal of driving privileges via the invalidation of the driver's license. On the other hand, a revoked license permanently cancels your driving privileges by making your driver's license permanently invalid. Driving privileges may be restored for suspended license owners once they fulfill their suspension terms. However, a new driver's license application will be required after a revocation period expires.

The impact of a suspended license is less severe, as the restriction on driving privileges is often for a few months to years, depending on state laws. License revocation is more serious, with restrictions on driving privileges often lasting several years, making it more difficult to regain such privileges and obtain auto insurance.

If your license has been suspended, you must wait out the suspension period, avoid driving on a suspended license while waiting, and meet other conditions set by the DMV or the court before your driving privileges may be reinstated. Some of these conditions include paying fines, providing proof of insurance, and attending state-recommended traffic programs. Afterward, you may have to pay a reinstatement fee and receive confirmation from the DMV that the suspension has been lifted before you resume driving.

A revoked license cannot be reinstated. You must apply for a new license at the end of the revocation term. Obtaining a new license is challenging as it typically includes passing multiple driving tests and a vision test. You may be required to take some alcohol and drug education courses, provide proof of insurance, and pay applicable reissue and administrative fees before obtaining a new license. In some states, attending a court hearing may be required before the DMV may reissue a new license for individuals who have had their previous licenses revoked.

Our driving records search tool is very efficient in helping anyone find out more about someone’s criminal history or traffic violations while remaining anonymous.