My License is Suspended. What are my options?
There are many causes for license suspensions, so the first step is to determine why your license is suspended. Attorney Kristi Haddock can pull your driving record and review it for as little as $25. A small price to pay to have clarity on why your license is suspended, and what steps must be taken to restore your license.
Failure to Pay Fines
Many drivers end up with a license suspension due to failure to pay a court fine. This is a simple fix if caught early. If the failure to pay a fine is the only cause for suspension, you simply need to contact the clerk of court in the county where you failed to pay your fine and make the payment either in person or by mail. There is a $50 late fee if you missed your 40 day window to pay.
Failure to Appear
If you miss court, you must petition to have the case re-calendared within 20 days, or a failure to appear is issued against you and notification is sent to DMV to revoke your license. If the only cause for suspension is your failure to appear, you need to have the old case re-calendared and resolved so that you can go get your license back. Attorney Kristi Haddock can file a motion for a new court date on your behalf, and advise you on the best way to move forward with the old case to prevent any further license suspensions. There is generally an additional $200 fine for failing to appear, but that fine may be waived if there are extenuating circumstances that caused your failure to appear.
Failure to Pay Security Deposit
If you were in an accident during a time that you did not have insurance, there may be a security deposit hold on your license. Attorney Kristi Haddock can contact the insurance company on your behalf to work out a payment plan for that deposit. Once a payment plan is in place, so long as the payments are made timely, you may be able to get your license back.
Driving While License Revoked
If your license was revoked for one of the reasons above, or for another reason and you continued to drive you may find yourself with a Driving While License Revoked (DWLR) on your record. Repeat offenses of driving while license revoked may cause an additional license suspension. Depending on how many offenses of driving while license revoked you have had, you may be eligible for a limited driving privilege or a hearing with DMV to restore your license. If your DWLR related revocation is a permanent revocation, you are eligible for a hearing after 3 years of clean driving history or eligible for a limited driving privilege after 2 years. If your revocation was originally for 2 years, you are eligible or a hearing or limited driving privilege after 1 year. If your revocation as for 1 year, you are eligible for a hearing or limited driving privilege after 90 days.
Driving While Impaired
A first offense DWI causes a one year license revocation. If you were convicted of a level 3, 4, or 5 DWI you will be eligible for a limited driving privilege during that time but are not eligible for a DMV hearing.
A second offense of DWI within three years causes a four year license suspension. You are not eligible for a limited driving privilege, but may be eligible for a DMV hearing after 2 years.
A third offense of DWI within five years of your most recent conviction causes a permanent license revocation. You are not eligible for a limited driving privilege during that time, but may be eligible for a DMV hearing after 3 years.
Call for a Free Consultation
If your license is suspended and you would like to learn the next steps to restore your license, call or text Attorney Kristi Haddock at 919-335-5656 for a free consultation, or email kristi@haddocklawfirm.com. If you do not know why your license is suspended, the first step may be reviewing your driving record.