Driving on a suspended license can become a very serious problem, especially if you do it more than once.  Convictions for this offense never go off your driving record, and the penalties for each one are increasingly severe:

• First Offense: $500 fine
• Second Offense: $750 fine and 0-5 days in jail
• Third or Subsequent Offense: $1,000 fine and 10 days in jail!
  

Each offense also carries a potential additional license suspension of up to 180 days and a $250/year surcharge for three years.  If you are driving on a license suspended due to a DWI conviction, it is even worse: a $500 fine, 10-90 days in jail, and a 1-2 year license suspension, all in addition to the penalties listed above!

The good news is that most people can resolve these tickets relatively painlessly.  Most of the cases I deal with are people that received the ticket because:

• They never paid the fee to have their license restored after a period of suspension
• Their license was suspended by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for failure to pay fines or surcharges, appear in court on another unrelated ticket, or reinstate an insurance policy.
• They didn’t know it had been suspended
  

In those circumstances where a driver’s license is “restorable,” the traffic courts on the whole will agree to downgrade the ticket to Failure to Produce a Driver’s License upon demand or out-and-out dismiss it, if the license is restored.  In these instances, getting restored may just mean paying the restoration fee, working out a deal for the payment of fines and surcharges, or going to court on the other unrelated ticket to get it resolved.  Also, if you did not know that your license had been suspended, and the state cannot prove that you received proper notice of same, you may well get the ticket dismissed!

If you are under an active suspension, there may not be much you can do.  However, I strongly advise people to consult with a lawyer if you receive this ticket; because in the vast majority of cases, a crisis can be averted, and you can save yourself significant consequences down the road.  Better yet, if you can be restored, do it before you get the ticket!

Have more questions about NJ traffic court?  This article not answer your question?  Get more answers here. You can also get the answers to the most frequently asked questions by downloading my free book, A Guide to Driving Legally in New Jersey and Surviving Traffic Court If You Don't.  It will give you the answers you need all in one place.  Then call me at 888-857-8418 contact me through this site for an appointment for a free consultation to discuss your case.

The Law Office of Steven J. Richardson serves New Jersey, including:  Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Salem, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties and surrounding New Jersey communities, including Woodbury, Colonial Manor, North Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Deptford, Thorofare, Gloucester City, Washington Township, Blackwood, Brooklawn, Westville and Pitman.

Richardson Law Offices
40 Newton Avenue
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: (856) 686-9910
Fax: (856) 686-9911