When someone’s license is suspended, it means that it’s temporarily out of service. In other words, if you have a suspended license and decide to drive a vehicle anyway, you’re breaking the law. And in Georgia, the penalty for driving on a suspended license is an extension of the suspension by six months.
There are many reasons as to why your license may be suspended. There are also some things that you can do to ensure that you’re back legally operating a vehicle on said license, like completing a defensive driving course Georgia. This post will take a closer look at how to learn if your license is suspended and what to do about it:
Checking Your License Status
First things first, how do you know whether you have a suspended license? The good news is that this is fairly easy to find out – all you need to do is check your record. This can be done by either contacting the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles by phone or by logging on to the Georgia DMV website. When you access your driving record, you’ll be able to view moving violations, points on your license and whether the license has been suspended or revoked. If you check your driving record and see that your license has indeed been suspended, the next step is to figure out why.
Why Is My License Suspended?
Your license may have been suspended for many reasons, but the reasons typically fall into four main categories: major violations, excessive license points, driving without car insurance and non-driving related issues. Here’s a brief rundown of each:
• Major violations: This includes the likes of vehicular homicide, committing a felony with a vehicle, fleeing police, a hit and run, a fraudulent license and improper registration, among others.
• Excessive license points: When you’re cited by police, points are applied to your license. In Georgia, if you rack up 15 or more points within a 24-month period, your license will be suspended.
• Driving without Car Insurance: All Georgia drivers must have valid car insurance.
• Non-driving issues: Things like unpaid child support or court-related issues can prompt a judge to suspend a driver’s license.
How to Fix a Suspended License
The fix for a suspended license largely depends on the reason for why the license was suspended in the first place. In most cases, drivers are required to pay reinstatement fees, which vary based on the type of offense that was committed, how frequent the offense was committed and whether the fine was paid in person or via mail. For instance, a license suspended due to a DUI costs $200 to reinstate via mail and $200 to reinstate in person.
There are a few other considerations to keep in mind when it comes to reinstating a license. For instance, if it’s been suspended because of excessive points, taking a defensive driving course in Georgia can help remedy this issue. Successful completion of such a course can trim up to seven points from your record. However, it’s also worth noting that you’re only permitted to reduce points by taking such a course once every five years. What’s more is that your license will remain suspended for the duration of time it takes you to complete the course. Be sure the course is approved by the GA DDS, our defensive driving course GA is for court-ordered or insurance discounts only.
Another thing you can do is request a hearing to appeal the suspension if you believe it may have been suspended illegally. The request for the hearing must be completed within 10 days of the suspension and fees may also apply for the hearing.