Driving while license suspended WITHOUT knowledge is a civil infraction which can add points to your license and lead to your license being suspended in the future.
Driving While License Suspended WITH Knowledge is a criminal charge which can be a misdemeanor or felony and can lead to your license being suspended in the future.Three or more of either (or combination thereof) within five years could qualify you as a Habitual Traffic Offender
A drivers license may be suspended for many reasons. Some of the reasons a license may be suspended include:
– Failure to pay a traffic ticket
– Too many points
– Failure to appear
– Child support delinquency
– Failure to maintain insurance
– Drug convictions
– DUI
– Habitual traffic offender
If a driver has knowledge that his or her license was suspended and gets pulled over while driving, the officer will issue a criminal ticket for driving while license suspended. YOU COULD GET ARRESTED! The police may arrest the driver. A first offense for knowingly driving while license suspended is a second degree misdemeanor. Second offense carries a maximum offense of one year in jail.
The first offense is a second degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
A second offense is a first degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of of 1 year in jail and a $1000 fine.
A third offense is a third degree felony with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $5000 fine. Possible Habitual Traffic Offender Status may result from three or more Driving while license suspended convictions.
Although not a criminal charge, unknowingly driving while license suspended is a serious offense. A conviction puts three points on a drivers license which may increase insurance rates, lead to a suspension for having too many points, and lead to suspension under Habitual Offender Statute.
DO NOT DRIVE – Driving will only lead to further charges that are more serious.
Contact a Tampa Suspended License Attorney – If you or someone you know is facing a Driving While License Suspended charge, contact a Tampa Suspended License Attorney today to go over the case. There may be defenses that apply, and we work to keep your record clean.
At Fernandez & Hernandez, LLC, our criminal defense attorneys protect the rights of clients from the moment the criminal accusation is made to the final resolution of the case.
We represent clients throughout Tampa, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Polk County, Manatee, Sarasota Count, Pasco County, Hernando County, and throughout the State of Florida.
With decades of combined experience, including time spent as former prosecutors, you can rest assured that your case is being represented by an attorney who understands the tactics used by the prosecution.
