A driver’s license can be suspended in
Florida for a number of reasons. These include not paying fines as well
as accumulating points in your driving record. The ease of driver’s
license reinstatement depends on the suspensions or violations involved.
For instance, offenses that involve late or no payment can be resolved
by paying the amount of the fine or missed payments including the
penalties or surcharges involved. Others, however, are much more
complicated than that.
Driver’s License Reinstatement
There
are many ways on how you can get your license back. But first, you must
understand why it was suspended in the first place.
1) Suspension due to too many points
You
accumulate points on your license for committing traffic offenses.
Florida assigns different point totals for different traffic violations.
A number of accumulated points can get your license suspended:
- If you earn 12 points in 12 months, you will receive a 30-day suspension.
- If you earn 18 points in 18 months, you will receive a 3-month suspension.
- If you earn 24 points in 24 months, you will receive a 12-month suspension.
You
can apply for a hardship license which allows you to drive in a limited
manner once your license is suspended. An exam, enrolment in
an Advanced Drive Improvement (ADI) course, and payment of suspension
reinstatement fee and any other applicable license fees are required
before a hardship license will be released.
Once your suspension time has expired, you can request a full license reinstatement at the same Bureau of Administrative Review.
2) Suspension for being a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO)
The
state of Florida keeps track of driving offenses. You may be labelled
as an HTO for committing 15 moving violations for which points are
assigned in a five-year period. Likewise, once you commit a total of
three offenses from the list below within a five-year period, you will
also be labelled as a Habitual Traffic Offender.
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
- Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (DWLSR)
- Vehicular manslaughter, voluntary or involuntary
- Any felony in which a motor vehicle was used
- Failing to stop as required under law following a crash that resulted
in the death or personal injury of someone (hit and run)
- Driving a commercial vehicle while the privilege is disqualified
Driver’s
licenses labelled as HTO will be suspended for five years. You also
cannot get a hardship license a year after the date of your license
suspension. An exam, enrolment in an Advanced Drive Improvement (ADI)
course, and payment of suspension reinstatement fee and any other
applicable license fees are required before a hardship license will be
released.
Once
the five-year suspension period has passed, you will need to contact
the Bureau of Administrative Review office again to petition for full
reinstatement of your license. This will not happen automatically after
the suspension period ends.
For other questions regarding driver’s license reinstatement, you may consult with a traffic lawyer in Tampa.
Rick Silverman
311 S Brevard Ave. Tampa, Florida 33606
813-871-1125
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