What to do when you get your license suspended

A driver’s license suspension can disrupt your entire life. You may have trouble getting to work, picking up your children, and completing errands. You suddenly realize that you’ve taken the privilege of driving for granted, and you want to make sure you get your license back as quickly as possible and keep it for good.

In North Carolina, there are many ways a driver’s license can become suspended. A suspension is a temporary withdrawal of your driving privileges. A revocation, on the other hand, is a permanent termination of your right to drive, which can only be reinstated after complying with certain conditions.

How License Suspensions Happen

There are many ways to get your license suspended in North Carolina. Some common ways that suspensions occur include:

• An automatic one-year suspension for a DWI suspension
• An indefinite suspension for failing to appear at a hearing or failing to pay a fine
• A 30-day suspension for going over 55 mph and exceeding the speed limit by more than 15 mph
• A 60-day suspension for accumulating 12 points on your license in a three-year period

In addition to interfering with your life, a license suspension also comes with financial consequences. Once you have served the period of your suspension, you will not automatically get your license back until you pay all fines. You’ll also have to pay a reinstatement fee, a restoration fee, and possibly a service fee.

How to Handle a Driver’s License Suspension

Be careful about agreeing to pay for traffic tickets if you may have a defense because paying the fine involves admitting your guilt. If you plead guilty to driving 81 mph in a 65 mph zone, you just agreed to have your license suspended for 30 days.

Once your license is suspended, do not drive! Driving while your license is suspended or revoked will result in additional fines and an even longer term of suspension. You can even have your license permanently revoked if you are caught repeatedly driving without a license.

Consult with an attorney to determine the best way to handle your case. In some situations, you may be able to get your license back by paying the required fines. Your attorney can also determine whether you may be eligible for limited driving privileges while your license is suspended.

North Carolina law allows for limited driving privileges for suspensions related to certain types of traffic violations. Generally, you must have no previous license suspensions and your offense must not be related to driving while impaired.

Limited driving privileges can only be received by filing a petition in court. These privileges are only given for certain specific purposes, such as driving to work or school or driving for household maintenance. There will typically be both geographic boundaries and specific time periods that you are allowed to drive, so make sure you fully understand these restrictions.

Consult With an Experienced Traffic and DWI Attorney

Each license suspension is unique, depending on your previous record and the type of offense or offenses you have committed. If you aren’t sure if you should fight your traffic ticket or apply for limited driving privileges, consult with a North Carolina traffic and DWI attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case. You may have a limited time to request a hearing or present your defenses.

King Law Offices is a full-service law firm with an outstanding team of professionals who work diligently, creatively and compassionately on behalf of our clients each day.  We serve the Upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina.  Call 888-748-KING (5464) today for a consultation.

Find out how your driver license can be suspended, and what you can do to prevent it.

Generally, you won't face license suspension if you get a ticket for speeding or rolling through a stop sign. But if you rack up too many moving violations or are convicted of a more serious driving-related offense, license suspension is definitely a possibility. Below you'll find a discussion of common reasons for license suspension, the procedure your state might follow to take your license away, and what you can do to fight a license suspension.

How Many Tickets Will Result in License Suspension?

For minor traffic violations like speeding, running a stop sign, running a red light, or texting while driving, license suspension generally isn't going to be one of the possible consequences of a conviction. But if you accumulate too many tickets in a short period of time, you do run the risk of temporarily losing your driving privileges.

Driver's License Point Systems

Most states handle driver license suspensions using a system that assigns a certain number of points for each type of moving violation. (Some states also imposed points for accidents.) If you get too many points in a certain period of time (two or three years in many states), you'll face license suspension.

Point Suspensions

Each state's point system is different. But, generally, a driver will start to risk license suspension after being convicted of three or four moving violations within the relevant time period. Point suspensions normally range from about 30 days to six months.

Keeping Your Points Down

Of course, the best way to keep your points down and avoid a point suspension is to not get tickets. But if you do get a ticket, there's another way to keep points off your record. Most states allow drivers to complete traffic school (also called "defensive driving") for a first violation within a certain period of time (usually, one year to two years). When a driver does traffic school for a violation, no points are assessed to the driver's record.

Suspensions for Repeat Offenders

In states that don't use point systems, drivers generally can still face license suspension for getting too many tickets. In these states, license suspension typically won't happen after a first violation. But drivers who get multiple tickets within a certain period of time (normally, one to three years) could face at least the possibility of license suspension.

In some states, traffic court judges have the discretion to suspend a driver's license for any traffic conviction. Most judges in these states probably don't use this discretion often. But if a case involves aggravating factors such as an accident or the driver having several recent violations, it certainly increases the chances of the judge ordering a suspension.

How Long Suspensions for Traffic Tickets Last

Typically, license suspensions for getting too many tickets or violation points range from about 10 days to a year. The first suspension for traffic tickets is usually at the lower end of that spectrum (10 to 90 days or so). However, drivers who keep getting tickets after a suspension will be looking at longer suspension periods like six months or a year.

Suspensions for Serious Driving-Related Convictions

Although minor traffic violations won't normally lead to license suspension unless the driver keeps getting tickets, some more serious violations can result in the loss of driving privileges even for a first offense.

DUI License Suspensions and Revocations

Drivers who are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) will almost always be looking at some period of license suspension or revocation.

For a first DUI conviction, the driver generally faces a suspension of around six months to a year. A second or subsequent DUI conviction might carry a license suspension of anywhere from one to five years. Some states will even permanently revoke the licenses of drivers who accumulate multiple DUI convictions.

Vehicular Assault and Vehicular Homicide

Vehicular assault and vehicular homicide are serious traffic offenses because they involve someone being seriously injured or killed. In most states, drivers convicted of either of these offenses can expect to lose their license for some period of time. Vehicular homicide often carries lifetime license revocation.

Reckless Driving and Excessive Speeding

States generally impose license suspension for traffic offenses that are particularly dangerous. So it's pretty for license suspension to be one of the possible penalties for reckless driving or excessive speeding violation (both pose substantial risks to other people). License suspension periods for these types of offenses are generally for a year or less.

Younger Drivers

In most states, drivers who are under the age of 18 are subject to stricter rules than older drivers. Under these types of rules, underage drivers may face license suspension for even a first minor traffic offense.

Obtaining a "Restricted" or "Hardship" License

Depending on the circumstances of your suspension, you might be able to obtain a "hardship" license to drive to and from certain places during your suspension. Typically, a hardship license comes with restrictions that limit where and when the person is allowed to drive. For DUI/DWI offenders, having an ignition interlock device (IID) installed might be a prerequisite for obtaining a hardship license.

How do you get around when your license is suspended?

How do I get my license reinstated in SC?

How do I get my license unsuspended in Maryland?

Can I reinstate my Louisiana license online?