Your life may be severely altered if you are found guilty of driving while intoxicated and have your driver’s license revoked or suspended as a consequence of the conviction. The commute to and from work, trips to the supermarket, and the ability to keep up with friends and family are all significantly more challenging. To your relief, regaining access to your driver’s license isn’t quite as challenging as you might believe, particularly if you have a lawyer who specializes in cases involving traffic violations. In order to get you started on the right foot, we have outlined the actions that you may need to follow under such circumstances.
Causes that can lead to the suspension of a driver’s license in the state of North Carolina
To begin, let’s look at the most prevalent reasons for having your driver’s license suspended as well as the fundamental actions that you need to take to get your license reinstated.
License Revoked Because of the Owner’s Failure to Appear
If you have a court date planned for a traffic crime that is considered a traffic misdemeanor, such as driving without insurance, aggressive or reckless driving, and you fail to show, you have 20 days to call the court and reschedule the date of your court appearance. If you don’t pay the fine, your driver’s license will be suspended. Also, in exceptional situations, the judge may decide to suspend your license immediately and skip the “grace period” of 20 days.
In order to get your driver’s license back after a “failure to appear,” you will need to attend your court hearing and complete the necessary paperwork for the ticket:
- the payment of an administrative penalty for failing to appear in court at the initial hearing.
- the payment of your traffic ticket as well as any associated court fees.
- taking the necessary steps and paying any costs required to have your driver’s license reinstated.
To have your driving privileges returned typically requires you to pay a combination of costs that can add up to more than $500.
Driver’s License Suspension Due to Traffic Violations
A traffic ticket for anything little like running a stop sign, speeding, or failing to yield can add up to a suspended license if you get too many of them. For every moving violation you incur within a three-year period, your license will be docked one point, and if you reach 12 points, your license will get suspended for 60 days, or more if you have a history of previous license suspensions. Once your license suspension due to traffic offenses has been lifted, you must pay a $70 restoration fee. If you did not turn in your license to court when it got suspended, you may also have to pay a $50 service fee. Your driving privileges will remain suspended if neither of these conditions are met.
If you have committed traffic offenses, you will most likely not be required to submit an application for a new license or take any tests in order to regain your driving rights.
Suspension of the Driver’s License Due to DWI
Even if you are only accused of driving while intoxicated, also known as DWI, in North Carolina, the state will automatically suspend your driver’s license.
An instant suspension of the driver’s license for a period of 30 days follows an arrest, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Your driver’s license will be suspended immediately for a period of one year if you refuse to do a blood test at the station where it was requested.
If it is your first offense for driving while intoxicated, you will lose your license for a full year. If you have a second conviction, you will lose your license for two years.
After the period during which your driver’s license was suspended has ended, you are required to submit an application to the North Carolina DMV in order to have your license reinstated. Moreover, you will be required to pay a fee of $140.25 to have your license reinstated, in addition to any service fees that may be applicable if you need a new license.
Regaining Access to Your Driver’s License After It Has Been Permanently Revoked
If you were convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) three or more times, you will have your license permanently revoked. However, if you meet the requirements, you can submit an application to have your driver’s license reinstated. These requirements are as follows:
- At least two years’ worth of time spent without a license.
- No convictions for drug or alcohol offenses for a period of at least two years.
- You do not engage in the unlawful use of controlled substances, nor are you someone who consumes an unhealthy amount of alcohol or prescribed medication.
There will be a hearing set up in an effort to have your driving privileges reinstated. You will be required to pay certain fines and adhere to any limitations that have been imposed on your license restoration for a predetermined amount of time if the court determines that you have satisfied these prerequisites and are now sufficiently safe to operate a motor vehicle.
Making an Application for Driving Privileges with Restrictions
You may submit an application for restricted driving privileges in certain circumstances, even if your license has been revoked or suspended, and you may be approved for them. You are required to file a petition with the court and appear in person at a DMV hearing before a judge. The judge may grant your petition and impose conditional privileges, which will limit your ability to drive to and from the following locations:
- Work
- School
- Medical appointments
- Church.
In the event of a critical situation
If you were convicted of driving while intoxicated and have had your license suspended as a result, you will only be eligible for limited driving privileges if you have a conviction for a level 3, 4, or 5 offense and have not been convicted of DWI in the preceding seven years. In addition, if your driving while intoxicated offense was aggravated in any way, such as having a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or driving recklessly, you will be required to wait 45 days after your conviction before applying, and you may also need to install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle.
We Can Help
Restoration of driving privileges is a specialty of our traffic ticket attorneys. Your Greensboro license suspension reasons and necessary next measures will be determined once our attorneys review your driving record. Our firm also represents clients in DMV hearings where their license has been suspended for reasons such as a previous DWI or other traffic violations. Click here for more information on getting your driver’s license reinstated: https://www.garrettandwalker.com/