When you think about Miami, there are many things that come to mind – balmy climate, great food, and of course, voluminous traffic. With the heavily traveled thoroughfares of I-95 and I-195 traversing through the city, Miami is not a place where you want to be stranded without a car. Consequently, having a suspended driver’s license can make living and working in Miami extremely difficult and not having a valid driver’s license can present innumerable other challenges, as well.

WHY IS MY LICENSE SUSPENDED?

In the State of Florida, there are nearly as many reasons that your driver’s license can be suspended as there are challenges of not having a valid license. Often a suspension may occur without you even knowing that it has happened. Getting convicted of driving while intoxicated, drug possession, or being a habitual traffic offender can all result in a suspended driver’s license. Of course, there are multiple other reasons that can cause your license to be suspended, as well. Some of these reasons may not be as obvious as those that we have come to expect.

Florida takes the paying of child support very seriously. Whether you are not paying your child support at all or are just behind in payments, the state can and eventually will suspend your driver’s license. Your driving privileges will be suspended indefinitely and can be ordered by the court system or the Department of Revenue. Additionally, failure to adhere to a child support order can even land you in jail. Once you get your child support payments caught up, the Department of Revenue electronically updates the state database. Although you do not have to take another exam if your license is suspended under these circumstances, you may be charged a reinstatement fee if this was not the first time you have had your license suspended for failing to pay your child support. This fee varies dependent upon how many times your license has been suspended for incurring child support debt.

Other unresolved debts such as unpaid court costs can also cause you to lose your license. The DMV asks no questions and wastes no time in suspending your license for outstanding debts to the court systems. This includes those drivers who have civil or criminal judgments that have been levied against them. One such debt can occur as the result of not having insurance or being under-insured. If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident and you don’t have insurance or have enough coverage to pay for any damages you cause, you will still be held responsible for the amount of the damages. So, you can expect to say good-bye to your driver’s license until you pay off that debt.

THE MOST COMMON REASON

Having too many points on your license is probably the most common reason, and the most commonly known, for having your license suspended. This is one of the major reasons why we traffic ticket attorneys advise you to never just pay your traffic ticket without first consulting with the Traffic Ticket Team. It is important to keep in mind that if you get 12 points on your license within a 12-month period, your license will be suspended for 30 days; 18 points within an 18-month period and you will find yourself with a 3 month suspension; 24 points in 36 months and you can forget about driving for an entire year. Finally, after your third time of having a suspended license, you are classified as a habitual traffic offender. This can result in jail time and losing your license for up to five years. Imagine spending five years trying to get around Miami without a driver’s license! Once this occurs, it can be really hard to get your license back because the court sees you as someone with little or no regard for traffic laws. When someone hears about this happening to other people, they can often be a bit judgmental and think that those with a suspended license must just be reckless, but points can add up quickly and so can unpaid fines just by committing a couple of infractions, Numerous minor infractions can lead to much tougher penalties. Unless you have successfully fought any traffic tickets you may have received, you should be aware that these citations are accumulating points against your license. Therefore, it is always advisable to resolve any issues that could affect the status of your driver’s license.

Another issue that we are seeing more frequently is if the Department of Motor Vehicles feels the driver has obtained a license in a fraudulent manner it can cause a license suspension for up to one year. The driver has the opportunity to address the DMV to try to show that the license was not fraudulently obtained. If it can be shown the license was indeed valid, the suspension will be lifted. If, however, the driver fails to prove that the license was not fraudulently obtained, the suspension stands.

Even if you suspect that your license may be suspended, it is best to resolve any issues that may have a bearing on the status of your license. Driving with a suspended license in Miami-Dade can become a serious criminal matter and public transportation in Miami can be a bit suspect. The Traffic Ticket Team may be able to help you in ways that have not occurred to you such as assisting you in getting a hardship license should your regular license end up suspended. Additionally, we can fight any traffic violations in court for you to avoid the suspension altogether or help you get it reinstated if already suspended. Often we can do so with nothing more than a phone call to our office, so give us a call at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation for any type of traffic citation.  We are aware of the challenges that those without a driver’s license can face in Miami. There are many beautiful areas in Miami in which you can ride a bicycle, but doing so on city streets could be a treacherous endeavor.