Driving with a suspended license is against the law. If you are caught driving with a suspended license you face steep penalties including fines, jail time, forfeiture of your vehicle, impoundment of your license plates, probation, community service, and a longer license suspension term. The jail term could be up to 180 days and fine for driving under suspension is up to $1,000.
The scary part is that you might not even know your license has been suspended. Under Ohio law, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is only required to mail the notice to your last known address. You must update the BMV if your address has changed to make sure you can be made aware of any license or registration issues.
There are several reasons why your license may be suspended. For example, if you have accumulated too many points on your license, (more than 12 in a two year period) your license may be suspended. If you have been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI)
or operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI), your driver’s license may be suspended as a result of an administrative license suspension, or as the result of a judge’s order. Your license could also be suspended if you failed to provide financial responsibility for your vehicle or for nonpayment of a civil judgment. In these cases you could be charged with an unclassified misdemeanor and required to pay a fine of up to $1,000, plus serve community service.
When the suspension time is over, you must pay a reinstatement fee to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to have your license and driving privileges reinstated. The amount of the reinstatement fee will depend on the reason for the suspension. According to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, you may not have to pay the entire fee up front. You may be allowed to pay on an installment plan, provided you have met all the other requirements for reinstatement. According to the BMV “The plan will allow individuals owing $150 or more in reinstatement fees to become valid or eligible to retest for a driver license by paying only $50.00 or more every 30 days for as long as it takes to pay their reinstatement fees.”
Driving with a suspended license can result in serious penalties. Let the Maher Law Firm provide you with an attorney who knows how to protect your rights when you’re charged with driving under suspension. The fines and further driving suspensions that could result from this serious charge are no small matter. You need to be able to drive to support yourself and/or your family. Continuing to rack up driving under suspension charges will create a situation that is extremely difficult to remedy. The Maher Law Firm has a proven track record fighting driving under suspension violations. Call The Maher Law Firm today for a free consultation at 614-205-2208 or contact us online.
