Most of us rely on our vehicles to do just about everything. Shopping, traveling to and from work, and dropping off and picking up children are just a few of the important advantages to having a driver’s license. If your driver’s license is suspended, much of your normal life is suspended too. Sometimes, the seeming impossibility of life without a car may lead you to hope for the best and get behind the wheel anyway. However, this can lead to serious consequences.
There are three ways to lose your driving privileges in Georgia:
- Cancellation: This happens if you are ineligible to have a license—perhaps due to incorrect information on your application.
- Revocation: Driving privileges are terminated for a specific period—as determined by the Department of Driver Services (DDS).
- Suspension: Driving privileges are temporarily withdrawn for a specific period.
There are different requirements for applying for reinstatement for all three situations.
What are the Reasons for Suspended Licenses?
In Georgia, certain crimes will result in mandatory suspension:
- Vehicular homicide
- Commission of a felony in which a motor vehicle is used
- Fleeing or attempting to elude an officer using a motor vehicle
- Fictitious use of or fraudulent application for a license
- Leaving the scene of an accident or hit and run
- Illegal racing
- Operating a motor vehicle with a revoked, canceled, or suspended registration
- Felony forgery relating to an identification document
Suspension can also be ordered for:
- Refusing a chemical test for a DUI
- Driving without insurance conviction
- Driving on a suspended license
- Failure to respond to a traffic citation or to appear in court
- Any violation of the Georgia Control Substance Act
- An accumulation of 15 points within 24 months—including convictions for out of state violations
- A Georgia DUI conviction
What Are the Penalties for Driving on a Suspended License?
Georgia does not take this traffic infraction lightly. State law is very clear on what happens if you are caught driving on a suspended license:
- For a first offense, you will be charged with a misdemeanor and possibly spend two days in jail. In addition, you will pay a minimum $500 fine and will probably lose your license for an additional six months.
- For a second (or more) offense within a five-year period, you will spend ten days in jail, pay a fine from $1,000 to $2,500 , and have more time added to your suspension period.
No one wants any of these things to happen, but they can and do. Depending on the way your case is presented and handled, your life can be turned upside down.
What to Do If Caught Driving on a Suspended License
If you are caught driving on a suspended license, you should contact an Alpharetta traffic violation attorney immediately. You could be saving money, time, and your very freedom by getting experienced, aggressive representation.
Contact the Law Office of Scott Miller today to protect your rights. Simply call us at 770-408-1001 or fill out the confidential contact form on this page. Let us help you put your life back in order.
