Driving Without a License

Driving without a license is illegal in every state in the USA or even driving a car with a license that is suspended or revoked is illegal in all of the fifty states in the USA and its consequences can be serious. Most states however differ between driving without a valid driving license and driving a car without a proof of a driver's license, meaning when the driver is not physically carrying his valid driving license with him.

In most the cases, the first time this happens, it is not just a simple traffic violation, but actually minor offense. However if the offense is repeated again and again then it becomes a felony. There are penalties for driving without a license, penalties for driving with an expired license, and penalties for not being able to produce a license when stopped by the law enforcement agencies. These can be from just 'fix it tickets' to having the car impounded or even serving jail time.

The fines that you may have to pay can range from anything between $50 in Oklahoma State, up to around $25,000 for a second offense in Illinois. You can even have your license suspended up to a year on the first offense. If there is a repeated offense then your license suspension may go on until a year or so. There might also be a possibility that the law enforcement agencies might take away your car or your license plate as well. For repeated offenses there is a large possibility of serving some jail time which may go on for five years, there can be community services as well, and not to mention that your driving record would have the Misdemeanour record on it now.

The penalties of driving without not having a license at all are less severe than driving with a license that is suspended or revoked, but this is still considered a Misdemeanour rather than a mere traffic ticket. In most of the states, it is such a serious offense that you may end up leaving the scene in handcuffs if you are found driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Table with Penalties on each State

Data provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures. SOURCE: http://www.ncsl.org

Driving when I left my license at home

Driving a vehicle without carrying your valid driving license will get you a ticket if you have forgotten to carry it with you or left it at home. It will probably be a minor traffic violation which will probably be dismissed by you showing up in the court with your valid driving license and maybe even paying a small fine.

Driving with a suspended license

It is a grave mistake to drive a car with a revoked or a suspended license, no matter how tempting it may be, it can be a very expensive mistake on your part. Most of the times, if your license is suspended or revoked it is probably because you broke some traffic laws or had an offense which led you to the suspension of your license. And now if you are found driving again with a revoked/suspended license, this would just add to your offenses and increase your time and maybe even land you jail!

Difference between Suspended and a Revoked License

• Suspended License: You license can be suspended due to a lot of points on your license or could be because you were driving without a proof of insurance or could be another major offense. A suspended license means you are at a temporary loss of your driving rights or privileges for some time. How your license is reinstated differs from state to state. In some states, the suspension might end automatically and your license would be reinstated while in other states you would have to reapply to have the suspension lifted.
• Revoked License: This one is quite a serious matter. When your license is revoked, it means it has been canceled and only after you have met all the requirements or the time frames that were imposed on you, only then you can reapply for a completely new driving license. The license is usually revoked for major or serious offenses such as DUI (driving under influence).

The penalties for driving with a suspended or a revoked license differ in all states. In most states, however, a large fine is imposed which can range up to $25,000. The suspension time that you have to serve will obviously increase as well and there is mostly jail time as well for such offense in most states, the time you have to spend in the jail, however, varies according to your state as well as on the seriousness of your offense. Like mentioned before, the first time offense is not as serious as a repeated offense that is done on a second, or a third time, which will guarantee some time behind bars.

Another negative to add under your belt if you are found driving with a revoked/suspended license is the insurance front. Most insurance companies take it negatively and this leads to increases in your insurance rates as it is considered high-risk behavior. If your license has been suspended for a really long period of time, you can even expect your insurance policy to cancel and then you would get much higher rates of insurance once you apply for insurance again.

Letting someone else drive your car without license

Another important point when it comes to driving without a license is that, not only should you refrain from driving without a valid license, but never ever let anyone else behind your wheel, who do not have a license. If the unlicensed driver gets into an accident with your car, it can be an insurance nightmare for you, since it is the car that is insured and not the driver. Your insurance company would be on solid legal rights to deny any claim for the car, thus you would be solely responsible to pay for the cost of repairing or even replacing your car. Most of the insurance companies do have a clause that states that all insured vehicles must be driven by drivers having a valid license.

This can lead to a high increase in your insurance payments as well and there might also be a chance that the insurance company might cancel your policy as well and reapplying for another one will probably get you much higher rates than before. Many states might even take away the vehicle from you if it is found in an accident with an unlicensed driver and also impose fines which you would have to pay in order to get your car back.

One in Five unlicensed drivers are involved in fatal accidents

There is a good and a valid reason why the laws are so strict in keeping the unlicensed drivers off the road. Not only it is a general disobedience to not following the laws of the country but it is also dangerous or risky for other drivers on the road.

According to a study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, one if five crashes which are fatal, involve an unlicensed driver who either does not have a license or whose license status is unknown to the law enforcement agencies. The study also showed that a driver with a suspended license is most likely to repeat the same offense again and showed that 28 percent of the people who broke the law had received more than three license suspensions or revocations in 3 years before being involved in a deadly collision again.

Thus, it is better to be safe than sorry. It is always better to catch a ride with somebody or take the public transport if you do not have your license in handy with you, as not only will it be bad for your record but would also be very expensive.

Types Of Driver Licensing Violations

With many rules and regulations revolving around driving, there are many violations that you can avoid if you are aware of them. Many violations deal with how safe people are with their driving and how well they follow signs and speed limits. Other violations that exist are regarding paperwork and insurance. Some violations are more common than others, with penalties for failing to apply for a driver’s license issued by your state within the time allowed.

Also, driving with an expired license, a suspended driver’s license, or revoked driver’s license, leads to penalties. In some cases, the mistakes leading to violations are honest. In other cases, violations are a conscious attempt to avoid a driving restriction known to be in place.

Driver’s licensing violations are not just limited to the license themselves, but a person can be penalized for things like speeding, reckless driving, driving without insurance, and not registering a vehicle that is being driven. Regardless of the reasons why you are pulled over, you will need to show proof of a valid driver's license when driving or operating a motor vehicle. If you fail to show proof of a valid license while driving, you can be penalized.

FAQ

What If I Don’t Get A New License After Moving To A New State?

After you moved to a new state, you will need to apply for a driver's license issued by that state. If you do not, you can be hit with numerous penalties if you are pulled over. Each state gives people who have moved a specific allotted amount of time to change their driver’s license over. Eventually, your license from your old state will no longer be valid, and you will be considered an unlicensed driver in the state. This can also result in penalties.

The easiest way to avoid these penalties is to change your driver’s license over as soon as possible. There is a grace period where you can still legally drive in the state you have recently moved to, but do not delay in changing your license over. If you want more information on the specific requirements for your state, contact your Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV.

What Happens If I Allow An Unlicensed Driver To Drive My Car?

There are many risks to allowing another person to drive your vehicle, but allowing an unlicensed driver to drive your car has even larger risks. There are severe penalties if you allow a person who is not licensed to operate your vehicle. This can include fines and fees, but also potential jail time depending on the situation. In some states, mandatory vehicle impounding is the law. You can also be sued and held liable for damages caused by the driver.