People who have had their driver's licenses suspended in New Jersey are in a real bind. They can't drive, but they still have to go to work, take the kids to school, do the grocery shopping, etc. They have to attend to the necessities of life. However, the risks of doing so are great, and the penalties greater.
The Penalties for Driving While Suspended
But 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!
Is There Anything That Can Be Done?
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.
How Do I Get my License 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!
I Can Help!
If you have received a ticket for driving while suspended in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem or Cumberland County, New Jersey, call my office right away at 856-432-4113 or contact me through this site to schedule an appointment for a free consultation to discuss your options.
If you are looking for more information on New Jersey's traffic laws, then download my free book, A Guide to Driving Legally in NJ, and Surviving Traffic Court If You Don't.
Related Topics
If you liked this information and found it useful, then you might like or need these others:
- Driving on a License Suspended for a NJ DUI Can Be a Felony!
- What happens if I get caught driving while suspended for a NJ DUI?
