Harry Gibson on February 15, 2024 No Comments
Did you get fined by the police and you are asking yourself the question of “how can I find out if my license is suspended?” If that is the case, then you are at the right place because we have a lot to cover concerning this topic and explain every bit you need to know when it comes to finding out if your license is suspended and the legal consequences of driving with a suspended license.
- What Is A License?
- Types Of Licenses
- Reasons For Suspension
- How To Find Out?
- How To Reinstate?
- Conclusion
The driving license is probably one of the most important legal documents besides the personal ID. These documents are essential for us drivers and without them, we cannot function and drive our cars.
These legal documents also make us liable against the law and we are charged if we have done something that is against the law. It doesn’t matter if it’s some minor incident on the road or some big offense. You can lose your license even for minor things like getting a ticket if you don’t pay. But we are going to clear everything out for you in this article.
We will start from the basics and learn what is this document and what represents. Then we will learn why you need to have it with you while you are driving. Then we can see why you can lose your driving license. After, we are going to answer the question of how can I find out if my license is suspended. Later, we are going to answer some common questions of how to reinstate your driving license and the liabilities if you drive with an expired or suspended license. So, let’s get into it.
What Is A Drivers License? – How Can I Find Out If My License Is Suspended
The driver’s license is a legal document that states that you are eligible to drive a motor vehicle. This is the case because not everyone can be eligible to drive a car on public roads.
There are a ton of offenders that lost their licenses and are not permitted to drive on public roads or anywhere. Also, people have to learn the traffic rules and also how to maneuver the motor vehicle on public roads. If they don’t know, they are jeopardizing public safety.
That’s why before you get your driving license, you need to go to driving school and take the driving lessons. Not to forget that you later have to pass the driving tests and get the driving license to get the permit to drive.
In the US, the minimum age to get a license is 16 years. This is the case in most countries. Some states even require 18 years. But there are also liberal states that offer kids even 13 years old to get a learner’s permit.
For more info on these permits, you can check out your local DMV to get the best information possible concerning whether you are eligible to take the driving lessons and get a license to drive. If you want to learn how can I find out if my license is suspended? That’s what we are going to cover a bit later. First, let’s take a look at the types of driving licenses.
Types Of Driving Licenses
Before we discuss how can I find out if my license is suspended and other complex topics. Let’s first see what are the types of driving licenses. Remember that not all driving licenses are equal and some of them offer you more freedom to drive vehicles than others. So, what are these different types of licenses? Let’s find out.
When it comes to different types of driving licenses it is worth noting that there are a few of them.
1. Non Commercial
Class M stands for motorcycle or a moped. This driving license limits you to using only this vehicle.
Class C, which stands for car, is a basic license that allows you to drive a car. In some states, this would be class D. For example, New York or Delaware. Depending much on where you live.
Class B stands for a bus. Perfect if you have an RV or other non-commercial vehicle that you intend to use.
Class A is the last of the non-commercial driving licenses. With this license, you can drive all the vehicles we covered by now with a maximum weight of 26,000 lbs.
Beware that this information can vary from state to state. So, the best would be to check at your local DMV.
2. Commercial Types
Then there are the commercial licenses, which are marked as CDL or commercial driving licenses. There are three classes of commercial driving licenses. These are:
Class C CDL – With this driving license you can drive vehicles whose GVWR of fewer than 26,001 lbs or transport up to 16 passengers including the driver.
Class B CDL – With the Class B CDL you can drive big commercial vehicles with GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs that are not hitched to a trailer. For, example vehicles like dump trucks, buses.
Class A CDL – With the Class A CDL you are qualified to drive 18 wheelers and other types of heavy commercial vehicles that have a trailer attached to them.
Overall, these are the types of driving licenses. Just be aware that this information varies from where you live. So, some states can have different driving licenses types.
Why Does Driving License Matter?
Driving license matters that’s why you need to learn how can I find out if my license is suspended. And that is something that we are going to cover a bit later in this article.
But why does it matter? Driving licenses give you specific qualifications. For example, you cannot drive a vehicle that requires a CDL license if you have a regular license for non-commercial vehicles.
By doing this, you jeopardize your safety and the safety of the people that you are transporting if you are driving a bus let’s say. That’s why you should not do that by any means. If you want to drive a vehicle that is intended for commercial vehicles. You should have a license permit to drive this vehicle. Because life isn’t a Hollywood movie where a guy enters a bus and starts driving the bus. In real life, things are pretty serious.
If you drive a vehicle without a permit you are also risking spending time behind bars, or possibly getting fined for that offense.
That’s why if you want to get yourself approved to operate a specific commercial vehicle, you will need to get that driving permit specific for this purpose. This will cost you, but if you bring bread to the table by driving an 18 wheeler, then this decision is a no-brainer. Because soon after the investment will pay off and you will be trained and ready to drive this vehicle.
That’s why make sure that you are complying with the law. And if you did something, you got a ticket for example. Do you have to look at how can I find out if my license is suspended? We are going to cover that a bit later.
Reasons Why You Can Lose Your Driving License?
Depending on which state you live in, you can lose your driving license for many different reasons. But there are a few that are most common and are true for most of the states. Some things are just not tolerated and could make you get your license suspended. So, what are these reasons?
Before we delve into them, we need to learn that there are two types of grounds for why you could get your driving license revoked. These are driving-related grounds and non-driving offenses that could make you lose your driving license. First, we are going to cover the driving grounds and then the non-driving grounds. After, we are going to answer the question of how can I find out if my license is suspended.
Driving Related Offenses That Will Make You Lose Your License
In this chapter, we are going to cover the driving-related offenses that are the most common offenses that can make you lose your driving license. So, which are these offenses? Let’s find out.
Probably the biggest offense for losing your driving license is drunk driving. But not only because of alcohol, but you can also lose your license if you are drugged. Driving intoxicated is never a good idea it will only take you into trouble and you will lose your license.
Another driving-related offense that can make you lose your license is reckless driving. More precisely driving and causing an accident. In some worse cases, causing an accident and fleeing the scene.
Other offenses that will also make you lose your license are road rage. For example, if you attack a participant in traffic. Also, street racing and participating in these illegal events. And the last reason is in case if you commit an offense and you fail to pay the ticket. This can be the silliest reason, why you can get your license suspended.
That’s why you need to learn how can I find out if my license is suspended. And that we are going to cover in a bit after we finish the non-driving offenses that are also common for losing your driving license.
Non-Driving Offenses That Will Make You Lose Your License
Non-driving offenses can also make you get your driving license suspended. Namely, some convictions for drug-related stuff. Failure to respond from the court, driving with fake license plates is among the reasons as well. There are a ton of other infractions that you can make to lose your license, that’s why the best is to learn the laws in your state.
And the most common reason why you can get your license revoked is the failure to pay child support. This rule is for every state except South Dakota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.
Failing to pay child support will make you lose your driving license in the worst-case scenario. But how can I find out if my license is suspended? Well, that’s what we are going to find out next.
How Can I Find Out If My License Is Suspended?
Now we came to the important bit and that is the answer to the big question of how can I find if my license is suspended. Knowing this stuff is essential because if you drive with a suspended license you will get fined or jailed in the worst-case scenario. That’s why you need to learn how you can look up and find if your license is suspended.
The important thing to note is that if your license is suspended, you will be notified via mail by the Secretary of State offices that you are not able to drive and your driving license is suspended. If you don’t receive this information. There are a few ways that you can try to find out if your license is really suspended.
The first way is to open your local DMV website and enter your personal information. There you will be properly informed if you have got your license suspended.
Another way is to go to your local DMV and do this work in person.
The third way is to mail an INF 1125 form to the DMV headquarters and find out.
The last way will take a while, so we recommend the first two options. Also, checking how can I find out if my license is suspended is going to cost you a small fee between $2 to $5 on average, depending on where you live.
Basically, these are the ways in which you can check this information. And this is important, trust me. You don’t want to drive with a suspended license. Driving like this will get you in trouble, and in the following chapter, we are going to list the possible penalties that you could face if you drive like this.
Why Finding Out If Your License Is Suspended Is Important?
As we said, you need to learn how can I find if my license is suspended. And in the previous chapter, we covered this problem in detail and we listed the ways of how you can perform this task.
And there were three ways, the first was going to your local DMV website and filling your data and getting the result, going directly to your DMV offices, or mailing a letter to them. We recommend the first two ways because they are far more convenient. Now let’s discuss why knowing this information is so important.
This information can serve you good and that is that knowing this is going to tell you if you can drive legally on the road. The second thing is that if you have successfully completed the period of suspension and know if you can get your license reinstated.
Either way, if you do not check and you continue driving like this could mean that if you get pulled over you can get arrested and face up to 6 months in jail, depending on the state where you live in. As well in addition to this, you could pay up to $1,000 in fines.
Remember that every state has its own laws when it comes to dealing with these kinds of offenses. That’s why it is a good idea to inform yourself and learn the laws where you live.
Because you don’t want to get in trouble for a reason like this. The best way is to learn how can I find out if my license is suspended and learn the ways that we listed above to check if your license is suspended and then move on to reinstate your driving license.
How To Reinstate My Driving License?
We have answered the question of how can I find out if my license is suspended. Now let’s take a look at how you can reinstate a driving license. We will cover both if your license was suspended or in worse cases completely revoked. So, follow along.
Option 1 – If The Driving License is Suspended
A suspended driving license is easier to reinstate than revoked license. But you still have to complete a form. But before this, you need to pay for your tickets or other offenses that you have done and get a court clearance receipt for the officials to know that you are free of all charges and you are eligible to ask to get your license reinstated.
After you got the receipt, you can apply to fill the form and apply for reinstatement. There is a small fee that has to be paid. This can also be done online in some states where this is available. Everything depends on the state you live in so the best is to consult your local DMV for detailed information.
But what if your license was revoked? That’s what we are going to cover next.
Option 2 – If Driving License Revoked
To reinstate your driving license if it was revoked, you will need to complete an investigation packet on your local official website. This is understandably done after your suspension period is over. If it’s not then your application will be rejected.
After you apply to reinstate your driving license and your application is successful, you will be notified via mail with a reapply notice. From there you need to follow the instructions carefully.
If your driving license is revoked because of an alcohol infraction, it is highly likely that you will have to obtain an SR-22, also known as Future Financial Responsibility proof. In addition to this, you will have to pay a reinstatement fee and fill the reinstatement application.
Remember that this depends from state to state, so maybe in your state, there are different rules when it comes to reinstating a revoked license. That’s why you should call your local DMV and ask them what exactly you need to submit to get your license reinstated.
Tips On How Not To Lose Your Driving License?
This is a good question that deserves an elaborate answer and we are going to answer it for you in detail. Since we covered how can I find out if my license is suspended, now we can cover some other topics. And that is how to play safe and never worry about losing your license. So, let’s discuss.
The first piece of advice I can give you is that you should avoid drinking when going out. Drinking less, is a good thing, especially if you are driving. Alcohol does no good to you. You should try to be interesting and funny without it, that’s for sure.
Because everything is good while you are in the club, but when you get out and you put your hands on the wheel a big load is on your back. That is your life, the lives of your friends. So, if you want to drink, maybe the best decision is to get an Uber or a cab. That way, you will be safe and you will avoid losing your driving license and avoid the possibility of hurting yourself.
Another thing, if you got a ticket, make sure that you pay for it on time. Because if you forget to pay or not pay on purpose, you will lose your driving license and then you will have to reinstate it again and this is a real headache to do for a ticket. In the end, you will have to pay a couple of times more than you previously should.
In addition to this, obey the laws on the road and always read the signs, because they are there for a reason, and that is to guarantee your safety and the safety of the people around you.
Facts: How to Get a Suspended License Reinstated
- License suspension can occur due to various reasons, including driving under the influence, reckless driving, and failure to pay fines or fees.
- Non-driving related reasons can also lead to license suspension, such as failure to maintain proper insurance or pay child support.
- Medical conditions like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, or certain eye diseases can also lead to license suspension after a medical advisory board review.
- To find out if your license is suspended, you can watch your mail for suspension notices, check online databases, or contact the DMV or your insurance company.
- To reinstate a suspended license, you may have to take an approved class, pay fees ranging from $5 to $1,200 depending on the state, and get an SR-22 or FR-44 form to show proof of financial responsibility.
- Approved classes for reinstatement include DUI programs and defensive driving programs, which may require fees and assessments.
- Reinstatement fees vary based on the reason for suspension and whether it was a first offense, ranging from $25 in Michigan to $200 in South Dakota.
- SR-22/FR-44 forms show that the driver meets the state’s auto liability requirements and are necessary to legally drive after license suspension in some states.
- Not all insurance companies offer SR-22/FR-44 forms, so drivers may need to purchase them from another insurer.
- Reinstating a suspended license can take time, money, and patience depending on the state and reason for suspension.
Conclusion – How Can I Find Out If My License Is Suspended
In this article, we have covered a lot when it comes to driving licenses. First, we learned what are they and the types of driving licenses. It is worth noting that you cannot drive any kind of vehicle with any kind of driving license. You need to have a license specific to the type of vehicle that you want to drive.
Then we have covered the reasons why you can lose your driving license, and they were more than a few. Basically, there are driving and non-driving incidents that could earn you lose your license. After, we answered the question of how can I find out if my license is suspended.
And as we can recall, there were two ways, checking your local DMV website, going to your local DMV, or mailing them. Then we learned how you can reinstate your driving license when suspended and also when revoked.
