What to Do If You Get Caught Driving On a Suspended License

The state of New Jersey comes down hard on those who violate its driving laws, and it is not uncommon for a driver’s license to be suspended for any number of reasons. A driver who is caught driving following their license having been suspended will find themselves facing whatever penalties would have been assessed for the violation that they have been charged with, in addition to significant fines and penalties attached because of the suspension.  This is true even in cases where the driver had not been aware that their license had been revoked in the first place. If you have been charged with driving on a suspended license, you need the help of an attorney from Wallace Law. We have extensive experience in this type of issue, and will mount a strong defense on your behalf.

The law that applies to those caught driving on a suspended license in the state of New Jersey is NJSA 39:3-40. It describes those it includes as those “to whom a driver’s license has been refused or whose driver’s license or reciprocity privilege has been suspended or revoked or who has been prohibited from obtaining a driver’s license.” The people in this broad category face fines of $500 for a first time offense, with a charge of $250 per year for three years. A second offense carries a $750 fine and jail time, and a third offense increases the fine to $1,000, as well as having the license suspension extended. There are other factors that can make the penalties even stiffer – these include being caught driving without a license while intoxicated or if the violation includes an accident in which another person is injured.

All too often, drivers don’t even realize that their license has been suspended. The state has two different types of license suspensions: those that are imposed by the court and those that are administrative and imposed by the Division of Motor Vehicles. Court-imposed suspensions are generally a result of a driver not having paid a fine or having accumulated too many points for driving violations. A license can also be suspended for failing to pay parking tickets, or for not having paid an insurance surcharge. Another common occurrence is when a person’s license is suspended for a specific period of time and that time period expires – they are required to pay a restoration fee that many are unaware of.

The question often is whether the driver was ever notified or aware of these suspensions, and there are many ways to argue either that the suspension was improper or that you were not aware of the suspension. At Wallace Law, we have a record of successfully getting the charges of driving on a suspended license dropped. For help with your case, contact us at your earliest convenience so that we can map out a legal strategy that will work for you.