Driving with a suspended license can carry heavy and long-lasting consequences. If your license has been suspended for any reason and you drive in the state of New Jersey, additional penalties will be added on top of the existing penalties for the original offense.
If you are facing charges for driving with a suspended license in the state of New Jersey, you can use the help of a lawyer to get your license reinstated as quickly as possible. For a free consultation about how to deal with your suspended license, get in touch with the lawyers at The Law Offices of John J. Zarych. Call (609) 445-3533 or visit our website as soon as possible.
Penalties for Driving on a Suspended License in Cape May County
Driving while your license is under suspension can carry a variety of additional penalties. For a first offense, the penalty is a fine of $500 and a possible suspension extension of 6 months. If you drive with a suspended license for a second time, the penalties can include a $750 fine, another 6 months of suspension, and a jail term that lasts between one and five days. The third time you are caught driving with a suspended license can result in a fine of $1,000 and a jail sentence of 10 days. (However, a third suspended license offense can be “served” if the offender enrolls in and completes a community service program ordered by the court.)
There are additional penalties for driving with a suspended license due to certain offenses. For example, if you drive with a suspended license and are involved in an accident that leads to the injury of someone else, then you may face a jail sentence between 45 and 180 days. This applies even if you are not directly responsible for the accident. And if you drive after your license has been suspended for a DUI or DWI, then you could be charged with a fourth-degree crime, which may mean incarceration for at least 180 days, as well as an additional 1 to 2 years added onto your license suspension.
Driving without a license is an additional offense on top of the one that led to the original license suspension. There is a myriad of reasons that someone might lose their license in the first place. These include:
- Getting too many points on your driving record – Accumulating at least 12 points on your license will lead to the temporary suspension of your license.
- Reckless driving – Driving recklessly can lead to a jail term lasting for up to 60 days, and/or a fine between $50 and $200 for a first offense, or an indefinite license suspension.
- Abandonment of a motor vehicle – Besides having your license suspended for up to 2 years, penalties for abandoning a vehicle on a public highway include a fine between $100 and $500, as well as impound costs.
- Being unfit due to physical or psychological reasons – A Motor Vehicle Commission chief administrator may determine, through an exam, that you’re not fit to drive a vehicle for a certain period of time.
- Driving without insurance – The first offense for driving without a license can result in a license suspension of one year, as well as a $300 fine and a community service requirement; a second offense can result in a suspension of two years, a $5,000 fine and large community service requirement. This also applies if you fail or refuse to provide proof of insurance upon demand.
- Causing a fatal car accident – A court may determine that your license must be suspended as a result of a fatal car accident.
- Failure to pay traffic tickets and fines, failure to make an appearance in court for a traffic-related offense, or failure to make mandatory child support payments – Suspensions of this type are disconnected from your driving ability but can still result in a license suspension determined by the state of New Jersey. They may last for a certain amount of time (such as six months) or they may end when a certain fine or payment is made.
- Driving under the influence – License suspension is one of many penalties that can be administered for driving under the influence, including a jail sentence lasting between 10 and 90 days, fines, and involvement in a community service program.
Getting Your License Reinstated
A suspended license may be reinstated after the suspended person goes through their period of suspension. They may have to pay certain revocation fees and meet other requirements before they are able to drive again.
They will also have to pay a restoration fee, which is $100. It should be noted that while other states may allow people with suspended licenses to drive only to work or school, New Jersey does not allow any exceptions.
Cape May Suspended License Lawyer Offering Free Consultations
Don’t allow license suspension to impede upon your life. Allow a lawyer with The Law Offices of John J. Zarych to help you today. For more information about how we can help you get your license reinstated as quickly and easily as possible, visit our website or call (609) 445-3533 at your earliest convenience.
