Generally, you should receive sufficient notice if you are at risk of losing your driver’s license, but in some cases you can see your license suspended without a clear explanation of why. If that happens to you, it’s important to follow up with the DMV to understand the reason for the suspension and take steps to restore your license as soon as possible.
How to find out why your license is suspended
If your driver’s license is suspended and you don’t know why, the quickest way to determine why your license is suspended is to log in to the state’s DMV website and check your license status. If the DMV portal does not provide clarity, contact DMV for an explanation of why the license was suspended.
You might also want to talk to your insurance company to explain the situation and ask about options to adjust coverage while you can’t drive.
The most common reasons for licensing suspension
Depending on where you live, there is a long list of reasons why your license will be suspended. State laws govern the suspension of licenses and lead to different standards for suspending individual driving privileges. Generally, there are financial suspensions related to driving.
Driving-related license suspension
Violation of road laws will result in driving-related license suspensions. An example of this is:
- Driving without insurance: Almost every state requires each driver to carry a minimum liability insurance (and sometimes other types of coverage) to drive legally. Your license may be suspended if you drive without the minimum insurance required by law.
- Driving under the influence: If the driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol while driving or operating the vehicle, this is considered to be driving under the influence (DUI). It may also be called driving while drunk (DWI) or operating while in a failure (OWI). Each state has its own language and definition surrounding this illegal activity. Those convicted of DUI risk the possibility of a licence suspension.
- Reckless driving: Although there are various definitions of reckless driving, it generally refers to driving a car regardless of your own or other people’s lives and safety. It does not necessarily mean that an accident or property damage occurred, but it does mean that driving was deemed dangerous. Excessive speeding, racing another vehicle and passing through a vehicle when there is approaching traffic is all examples of reckless driving.
- Fail Report an accident: Additionally, if you do not report an accident, your license will be suspended. For example, if you do not fill out the DMV on your SR-1 within 10 days of your accident, you will lose your license in California.
- Repeated violations: Most states follow a violation points system that allows DMVs to suspend licenses if they earn a certain number of points on their licenses in a short time. Even if your state doesn’t have a point system, repeated violations and earning too many tickets in a certain period of time can lead to a suspension of driving privileges.
Financial licensing suspension
Driving-related issues are not the only reason you could lose your license. Your license may be suspended for financial reasons.
- Missing child support: If you are delinquent or skipping your child support obligations entirely, some states will revoke your license.
- Failure to pay for a traffic ticket: If you are ordered to pay a ticket like a parking ticket or a toll road violation and fail to pay the fine, your license may be suspended.
- Failure to pay financial obligations from an accident: If you are deemed negligent in an accident and disability and are unable to meet your financial obligations for damage to your property or injury, your license may be suspended.
- You are subject to civil lawsuits from an accident: If you are considered for negligence in an accident and as a result, you are named in a civil lawsuit, some states will suspend your license.
- Failure to pay student loans: Failure to repay your student loan could lead to a risk of licensing suspension in states such as Iowa, Montana, and Oklahoma.
Reasons for the addition of license suspension
Driving-related or financial-related outages are relatively easy, but this does not mean that all of the above lists are comprehensive. There are several other instances that can face suspension of your driver’s license, such as:
- Illegal use of licenses: Share your license with a friend to buy alcohol, or join a club while you’re a minor, an illegal use of your license can lead to a suspension. Additionally, misusing your legal ID as false pretense can lead to a pause.
- Run away from the police: While some states have a basis for reckless driving, attempting to flee or run from a police officer, it can also lead to the suspension of automatic licenses without a conviction of reckless driving.
- Not shown in court: Some states have been ordered to appear in court, and if they do not, they can receive a licence suspension. Even if the court appearance is unrelated to the driving case, this could be for some reason.
- Missing School: Some states have imposed laws that help learners to suspend their driver’s licenses and driver’s licenses to discourage high school students from skipping or dropping out of school.
How to recover your license
License suspensions are generally temporary and are defined periods. Each state has its own process for re-returning, but may need to register with the driver’s seat or some form of traffic school, or take a road test again. You may also need to submit an SR-22. This is a form that is the file of the state insurance company on your behalf to prove that you meet the state’s minimum requirements for insurance.
In addition to the potential for a defensive driving course and the SR-22 requirements, you will likely need to pay a reinstatement fee. Prices range from price, but are usually at least $100. In some cases, paying a reinstatement fee is sufficient to end the suspension, but in some cases, you may need to wait for a mandatory suspension period before you can regain full driving privileges, such as when the suspension is caused by a serious driving violation.
South Carolina is an example of a state where you need to pay a $100 reinstatement fee and meet all requirements to regain driving privileges. However, South Carolina has offered driver suspension eligibility weeks over the years with the opportunity for eligible drivers to completely reduce or terminate suspension periods. However, this option only applies if the driver loses his license due to certain circumstances, such as earning excessive points before the age of 18 or operating an uninsured vehicle.
To learn more about the driver’s license recovery program and other state processes, visit the state-specific automotive department website.
