Driving with a suspended license is not just illegal; It can also result in some dire consequences. The severity of the punishment depends on your state’s laws and why you were driving while your license was suspended. When facing charges of driving with a suspended license, chances are high that you might also face other charges. For instance, you might have been pulled over for overspeeding or some other traffic violations before you were identified to be driving with a suspended license. If the police have pulled you over for driving with a suspended license, it is best to hire a Mesa criminal lawyer to help you out of that situation quickly.
Read below to know some of the consequences of driving with a suspended license.
Impounding Of A Vehicle Up To 30 Days
You need to understand that when you are pulled over and are found driving with a suspended license, your car can be impounded for up to 30 days. This outcome will depend on state law and what you were arrested for, but it’s possible in some cases. If this happens, you can be sure to spend money on it. This is because you will not only have to pay to get your vehicle back but there may also be fees associated with moving it from where it was parked if you don’t own the property or rent the space.
You may have trouble finding employment also after receiving this type of punishment. This is because many employers require at least 30 days’ notice before hiring someone arrested previously.
Face Up To Six Months Jail Time
Facing jail time is one of our worst fears. However, you need to know that the consequences of driving with a suspended license are often very severe. You can be charged with a misdemeanor or felony depending on the seriousness of your offense, and if you’re convicted, you may face up to six months in jail as well as significant fines.
Naturally, no one would want to spend six months of their lives in jail; hence it is best to avoid driving with a suspended license. In addition, there will likely be consequences to licensing privileges, such as driver’s licenses being taken away for one year or more. This usually depends on how often you have had your license suspended before rather than just this most recent instance of suspension by law enforcement officers when pulled over.
The penalties imposed depend not only on severity but whether it is the first offense or not. For example, in some states, you can qualify for a restricted license after two suspensions if it is your first time but have to serve jail time and lose all driving privileges on the third instance of being caught with a suspended driver’s license.
Fines
Driving with a suspended license can lead to fines. If you have your driver’s license reinstated, the court may fine you up to $250 for driving with a suspended license in violation of the law. If you don’t pay the fine, your license may be suspended again. In addition, if you are convicted of driving with a revoked or expired license in some states, an administrative law judge can impose fines up to $500 and six months imprisonment for that violation.
You might be wondering what if you did not know your license was suspended, right? In this case, you might plead your innocence to the judge, but you need to know ignorance does not usually work in your favor. You will have to prove you thought you were acting legally, and for you to prove this, you need to hire a lawyer that knows the best ways to handle such a case.
There are various consequences for driving with a suspended license. You can be fined, and if you fail to pay the fine, your driver’s license may be revoked again. In some cases, these penalties will rise if you were aware of the suspension but still drove anyway. In other instances, punishments may not involve fines when someone borrows your car without telling you they have been suspended, or their license expired while on suspension.
