If your license was suspended, chances are good that you’re itching to get back on the road. A suspended license can impact your life in more ways than one. From making it more difficult to get to work to impeding your social life – not to mention the financial costs that come with it – you’d probably love to get this chapter over with as soon as possible. But knowing exactly what you need to do in order to reinstate your license can be difficult. While each state is different, here are the four basic steps you’ll go through in order to get your license back if you’re eligible to do so.
This is the hardest part, but the first step in getting your license back is to wait. You will almost certainly have to go through a rather lengthy period of staying off the road, and while it might be tempting to drive someone else’s car or try to drive while your license is suspended, it’s not worth the risk. In most states, getting caught driving on a suspended license will expose you to the risk of license revocation, which is much harder to come back from. Just wait it out until your time is up, then continue on with the process.
The second step, for most people, will be mandatory traffic school, usually referred to as defensive driving courses. The idea behind these courses is to ensure that you understand the rules of the road and can demonstrate your knowledge of them before you get your license back. In most cases, the driver is responsible for paying for the courses, so you’ll most likely have to pay for the courses yourself. The length of the course and the price depend greatly on where you’re located, but you do need to make sure to follow all the directions regarding which locations you can attend. If you take your defensive driving courses from a facility that isn’t state-approved, you’ll have to do it over. In some cases, going to a non-approved facility is grounds for further suspension or revocation.
The next step is to get an SR-22 from your insurance company. An SR-22 form tells the state that you’re financially responsible, and it’s usually a way to tell them that you have insurance, as well. If you’re considered a high-risk driver, which is usually the case if you’ve had your license suspended, then you have to essentially prove that you’re taking the necessary steps to become responsible and lower your risk.
Finally, you’ll have to pay a license reinstatement fee. In most states, it’s around $50. In Florida, for example, it’s $48 and in California, it’s $55. Some states have much lower or slightly higher fees, but the average is around $50. This fee is administrative in nature and it simply allows you to get your license processed, printed, and mailed to you so you can get back out on the road.
The license reinstatement process is long and, in many cases, expensive. However, if you’ve just recently had your license suspended, you might be eligible for a hardship license. It goes by many names, depending on the state you live in, but a restricted or hardship license simply means that having your license completely taken away for an extended period of time would put you in unreasonable hardship. For instance, you’d lose your job because you couldn’t go to work or you’d have to drop out of school. It can be tricky to prove hardship, but with a qualified traffic attorney at your side, your luck will be a lot better.
At Ticket Void, we’ve worked with drivers like you for years helping them find qualified legal representation for their traffic- and driving-related tickets. With just a few pieces of information, we can match you with the best attorney for the job by tapping into our nationwide network. We’ll email you the information you need to contact a traffic lawyer in your area. The initial consultation is free, so what do you have to lose? Get started today, and exercise your right to fight.
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