Unlicensed driving occurs when someone that does not have a valid driver’s license or never had a driver’s license gets behind the wheel of a vehicle and drives. Unless the offense involves an accident with injury or death, this type of offense, is typically charged as a traffic violation. However, being caught driving without a license or driving with a suspended license could be charged as a second-degree misdemeanor and punishable by up to 60 days and a $500 fine if it is a first offense. Penalties get more severe with each alleged violation.
Contact one of our skilled traffic attorneys at Leifert & Leifert if you have been charged with one of these offenses. Depending on the circumstances of your offense, you could be facing jail time and/or requirements to attend driving school. Call a West Palm Beach license suspensions/driving without a license lawyer today to get started reviewing your case.
What to Expect When Charged with Driving Without a License
When someone with a license is charged with this type of offense, but for some reason do not have their license on them, they could be able to get the case dismissed once proof of a license is presented to the Court since they are now in compliance and unlikely to reoffend.
However, if they are unable to acquire a license or they have committed a similar infraction in the past, they could be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor and be ordered to pay a fine along with a jail sentence of up to 60 days and a fine of up to $500. The severity of the offense largely depends on whether the person has a license, whether they are legally eligible and willing to acquire and produce a license, and how many times they have committed this offense in the past.
Penalties for Multiple Offenses
In a worst-case scenario, if a driver has had multiple offenses in the past, the Court may not be lenient as they were previously. The Prosecution may send a message to the offender they should not drive without risking serious consequences. As a result, a repeat offender may go on probation, or even face a jail sentence, just to make sure that they do not drive without a license again. The penalties would depend heavily on the circumstance of their stop and why there were not able to obtain a license if they were previously convicted.
Driving with a Suspended or Revoked License in West Palm Beach
Driving with a suspended license is much more serious than driving without having ever obtained a license. This is because when a person’s license is suspended, a certain action had to have been committed in order for their license to be suspended. In other words, where the driver who may have forgotten to take their license with them did so unintentionally, the person whose license was suspended decided to drive under their own volition. As a result, the law may not be lenient when dealing with a person caught driving with a suspended license.
Schedule a Consultation as Soon as Possible
One of the biggest mistakes when charged with driving without a license or driving with a suspended license is failing to contact an attorney. Without a West Palm Beach license suspensions/driving without a license lawyer at your side, you may find it difficult to reduce the penalties of your offense. We see many clients who have handled these citations incorrectly and who are now suffering multi-year Driver’ License suspensions as a result.
Schedule a consultation with one of our skilled attorneys at Leifert & Leifert today to learn more about what possibilities are available to you and how we can help you avoid or repair any Driver’s License issues that you may have.