Driver’s License Suspensions

Losing the right to drive can be a hardship that affects many areas of your life and the people around you. If you have been notified of a driver’s license suspension, there may be opportunities to save your license. In many cases, license suspensions are temporary, and driving privileges can be reinstated by simply paying unpaid fines and resolving the basis for the suspension. At Tilem & Associates, our Westchester County traffic ticket lawyers can provide legal guidance to people who are facing a driver’s license suspension. From our White Plains location, we have successfully helped many drivers in and around the New York City area restore their licenses, obtain conditional use licenses, or defend against DUI or criminal charges while their license is suspended.

A driver’s license suspension means losing your privilege to drive in the state of New York for a period of time. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may suspend a person’s license for a number of reasons. Some common grounds for a suspension are failing to answer a traffic ticket or pay the fine, committing several traffic violations within a short period of time, falling behind on your child support payments, being involved in a fatal traffic accident, leaving the scene of a car accident, outstanding New York state tax debt, failing to pay tolls, a lapse in automobile insurance, a conviction of a drugged or drunk driving offense, or writing a bad check to the DMV.

You will be given notice if the DMV has suspended, or intends to suspend, your driving privilege in New York. A license suspension may be in effect for either a definite or an indefinite period of time. A definite suspension has a start and end date, during which time you may not legally drive. To have your New York license restored after the end of the suspension period, you must pay the suspension termination fee and, if applicable, pay a civil penalty, driver responsibility assessment, and any other fine against you. You must also ensure that the underlying basis for the suspension has been resolved.

An indefinite suspension simply requires that you undertake some action, such as answering a traffic ticket or paying a traffic ticket fine, in order to remove the suspension. Typically, the order of suspension will state the action needed to restore your driving privileges, or it may advise you that if you take a required action, such as paying all of the toll fees owed to the tolling authority, the suspension will not take effect.

For license suspensions arising from a DWI refusal or certain other criminal offenses, an administrative hearing will be scheduled regarding the suspension. In other situations, you may have the right to request a hearing before the suspension takes effect. The hearing provides an opportunity for you to present evidence and argue against the suspension. You also have the option of hiring an attorney to represent you at the hearing and protect your interests.

If your New York driver’s license has been suspended, you may be eligible for a conditional or restricted use license. Both conditional and restricted use licenses allow individuals with suspensions to drive in specific circumstances, such as to and from school or work. For many people, obtaining a conditional or restricted use license is crucial to maintaining employment and their financial security. If you need guidance, a traffic attorney can advise you on your eligibility and inform you of any additional requirements that must be met. Driving with a suspended license, without obtaining a conditional or restricted use license, could result in an arrest for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle. An AUO charge is not a traffic violation but a serious criminal offense that could result in jail time.

At Tilem & Associates, we can inform you of any available options to restore your driving privileges and guide you through that process. Our traffic ticket attorneys serve people located in Westchester County as well as the Bronx, Queens, and Kings, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Richmond, and Putnam Counties. Set up your free consultation by calling our White Plains office at 877-377-8666 or submitting our contact form online.