Driving on a suspended license

The crime of driving on a suspended license probably seems relatively straightforward. Arizona law requires you to have a license to drive. Therefore, if you drive without a valid license, with a suspended license or with a revoked license, then you will likely be charged with driving on a suspended license. However, given the way that license suspensions are issued in Arizona, a person may not have known that their license was suspended. This fact can be critical to the defense of your case.

So, how does your license get suspended in the first place? As mentioned earlier, one way that your license could be suspended is if you have accumulated 8 or more points on your Arizona driving record. Some other common ways that individuals end up with license suspensions are:

• Following a DUI conviction,
• Following a no proof of insurance conviction, 
• Failure to pay a fine associated with a civil traffic violation,
• Failure to appear at a required court hearing.

Similarly, license revocations can occur. License revocations generally are a result of a conviction of a crime that requires license revocation as a penalty of that specific crime. Some convictions that come with the penalty of a license revocation are:

• Aggravated DUI,
• A second reckless driving conviction within 2 years,
• Second DUI conviction within 7 years.

These lists are not exhaustive, and other crimes may result in a license suspension or revocation. Penalties for driving on a suspended license in Chandler can be severe as this crime is generally a class 1 misdemeanor. On top of the maximum penalties for a class 1 misdemeanor, a person convicted with driving on a suspended license will likely have their vehicle impounded.

What to do if you get a traffic violation in Chandler

As you can see, traffic violations can be serious criminal charges with lifelong impacts if convicted. However, these violations—especially in the case of a first violation—can be drastically mitigated. While you may not need to hire a defense attorney for every traffic violation, we are here to look at your specific situation and help you determine if hiring a defense is the best choice for no charge. At the Rosenstein Law Group, we understand that any charges brought by the government can be stressful, and we look forward to taking as much of that stress from you as possible. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call (480) 248-7666 to schedule your free consultation.