Consequences of Driving While Suspended in DC

If you’re convicted of driving on a suspended license you can get up to one year in jail, up to a $2500 fine, and you could also receive an additional 12 points and the revocation of your driver’s license making it a good idea to contact a DC driving while suspended lawyer as soon as possible.

Although, there are no enhanced penalties that change your possible maximum jail time or possible maximum fines, if you get multiple charges of driving on a suspended license it can increase the chances of you serving jail time, and it could also make it increasingly difficult for you to ever get your driving privileges reinstated.

Driving While Suspended and Immigration Status

Any conviction can have an impact on your immigration status, and that includes driving on a suspended license because it does have the possibility of getting you up to a year of jail. However, because it’s a traffic offense it may fall under a petty offense exception to make it less likely that you face the more serious consequences on immigration status like deportation, or revocation of a green card, or a revocation of a visa.

Jobs and Security Clearances

Your employer will likely not find out about your driving while suspended charge unless you have a job in which you have a security clearance through the government. The other situation where your job may find out about a pending driving while the suspended charge is if you need to drive as part of your job. For example, if you have a commercial driver’s license, then you might have an employer who checks your driving status frequently and any change to that driving status could raise alarm bells.

A conviction for any crime could potentially put a security clearance in jeopardy. However, since driving under suspended license is considered to be a traffic crime, it will most likely not have serious implications for a security clearance. But the most important thing to remember if you do have a security clearance is to make sure you know what your requirements are for reporting pending criminal charges. Failure to report an arrest can sometimes have even more serious consequences for your security clearance than being convicted.

Working With A Driving While Suspended Attorney

If you’ve never been arrested before, having a lawyer familiar with these types of charges can make your life easier and can reduce the anxiety that you feel when you’re going in front of a judge for the first time. If this is not the first time you’ve been charged, an experienced attorney can help mitigate the possible increased penalties you might face due to your prior record and explore every possible defense to your charges.