Driving on a suspended license questions and confusions

[Eye of the Tiger]

Huh? Cancelling insurance after you sold the car can get your license suspended? Isn't that sort of necessary? How else is a buyer going to legally test drive the car?

In South Carolina, the insurance company notifies the DMV immediately if you cancel your car insurance OR even just change insurance companies. If you did not also notify the DMV, your license gets suspended.

Incident #1 - I drove my Pontaic LeMans from South Carolina to Mississippi, en route to Korea. I left my Focus with my dad in Maine, and had the Focus insurance switched to his policy. As soon as that happened, the South Carolina DMV sent me a letter notifying me I had two weeks to turn in the plates for the Focus, or my license will get suspended. The problem is, I was in Mississippi and having my mail forwarded. To top it off, I got hit by hurricane Katrina. Suffice to say, I never got their notice in the mail until long after the deadline. I had been unknowingly driving with a suspended license for about two months before I ever got it. When my orders to Korea got cancelled, I went back to SC, and was faced with an ugodly license reinstatement fee. I had to pay it, even after providing them proof of no gap in insurance coverage had occurred, and after explain to them that I was TDY out of state where I was hit by a hurricane. Fuck em.

Incident #2 - I sold my Duster to a friend just a day or so before I moved from SC to Maine. I cancelled the insurance, but in the whole chaos of moving, the whole DMV bullshit never crossed my mind. About a month later, I get a letter from the SC DMV forwarded to me in Maine stating that my license has been suspended. Well, tough shit SC, because I have a Maine license now. Fuck em.

[Rupert]

That is fucking dumb.

[dazzleman]

In South Carolina, the insurance company notifies the DMV immediately if you cancel your car insurance OR even just change insurance companies. If you did not also notify the DMV, your license gets suspended.

Incident #1 - I drove my Pontaic LeMans from South Carolina to Mississippi, en route to Korea. I left my Focus with my dad in Maine, and had the Focus insurance switched to his policy. As soon as that happened, the South Carolina DMV sent me a letter notifying me I had two weeks to turn in the plates for the Focus, or my license will get suspended. The problem is, I was in Mississippi and having my mail forwarded. To top it off, I got hit by hurricane Katrina. Suffice to say, I never got their notice in the mail until long after the deadline. I had been unknowingly driving with a suspended license for about two months before I ever got it. When my orders to Korea got cancelled, I went back to SC, and was faced with an ugodly license reinstatement fee. I had to pay it, even after providing them proof of no gap in insurance coverage had occurred, and after explain to them that I was TDY out of state where I was hit by a hurricane. Fuck em.

Incident #2 - I sold my Duster to a friend just a day or so before I moved from SC to Maine. I cancelled the insurance, but in the whole chaos of moving, the whole DMV bullshit never crossed my mind. About a month later, I get a letter from the SC DMV forwarded to me in Maine stating that my license has been suspended. Well, tough shit SC, because I have a Maine license now. Fuck em.

Those are just paperwork mix-ups, not an earned license suspension.

Maybe BenzBoy will be the first? 

[bing_oh]

NACar, are you sure that your Maine driver's license is valid? A suspended license in one compact state usually follows you to another compact state...that's one of the purposes of the Interstate Drivers License Compact, to prevent people from getting their license suspended in one state and then just going to another state to get a new license and avoiding the consequences of whatever got your license suspended in the first place.

[dazzleman]

NACar, are you sure that your Maine driver's license is valid? A suspended license in one compact state usually follows you to another compact state...that's one of the purposes of the Interstate Drivers License Compact, to prevent people from getting their license suspended in one state and then just going to another state to get a new license and avoiding the consequences of whatever got your license suspended in the first place.

There was a period when he was getting a ticket every other week with his Maine license, and nothing more came of it, so it probably is valid.

[Eye of the Tiger]

There was a period when he was getting a ticket every other week with his Maine license, and nothing more came of it, so it probably is valid.

If I already had a Maine license before SC "suspended" my non-existent SC license... well, like I said, fuck em.

[dazzleman]

If I already had a Maine license before SC "suspended" my non-existent SC license... well, like I said, fuck em.

Is your Maine license in good standing, with all those tickets you've gotten Nick? 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Is your Maine license in good standing, with all those tickets you've gotten Nick? 

I only got a warning the last time I got pulled over, and the cop was really pissed, so I can only assume...

[dazzleman]

I only got a warning the last time I got pulled over, and the cop was really pissed, so I can only assume...

...or maybe you paid him off. 

[rohan]

Your first step is to get documentation from the state regarding your driving status at the time of the offense. That your license is valid now makes no difference to the court. If you can get documentation that your license was suspended in error, then you shouldn't need a lawyer. That sounds simple enough, but getting that kind of documentation probably won't be easy...that kind of document means basically getting a bureaucrat to admit that they screwed up. Without that documentation, you're going to have a very difficult time winning that kind of case. It's guaranteed that the officer will have documentation that shows your suspended license at the time of the arrest.

Agree.  Basically, you missed court and got suspended.  I'm surprised they didn't issue a warrant for your arrest for missing court- they do here.  Because a judge ordered you suspended you will probably lose this one.

[TurboDan]

Rohan - While his license was suspended correctly for forgetting to go to court, it sounds like he paid the fine and had it reinstated before he was pulled over for the speeding ticket in this incident, meaning the reinstatement just never made it through the computer system.

[rohan]

Simply paying the fines for the violation(s) is often not enough- most SOS's or DMV's require reinstatment fees and sometimes other administration fees as well.  For instance- if you get suspended for not going to court here you'll have to pay the court costs and fines plus their administrative fees and then you have to go the SOS office and pay the reinstatement fees plus the driver responsibility fees.  I'm guessing his license being suspended wasn't just a mistake- but who knows I was wrong one time years ago maybe it happened here to? 

[Xer0]

Simply paying the fines for the violation(s) is often not enough- most SOS's or DMV's require reinstatment fees and sometimes other administration fees as well.  For instance- if you get suspended for not going to court here you'll have to pay the court costs and fines plus their administrative fees and then you have to go the SOS office and pay the reinstatement fees plus the driver responsibility fees. 

I guess I forgot to mention that, I did mail them the forms of compliance along with my re-instatment fee ($70 here).  They mailed it back, check and all, when I called and the person on the other end mentioned that it was a mistake.  Thats the confusing part

I'm guessing his license being suspended wasn't just a mistake- but who knows I was wrong one time years ago maybe it happened here to? 

Keeping my fingers crossed lol

[rohan]

Well I can't speak for Illinios but here if you're suspended by the judge the state can't simply decide it's a mistake- but good luck either way.

[Xer0]

Update:

So, I just got back from my court date and a pretty smile and a spiffy shirt later and the charges were completely dropped.  I showed the judge and the prosecutor all of forms that I had; the notice of compliance, the reinstated license, the refund of my reinstatement fee, etc, and she simply dropped the charges.  Partly because it was all taken care of in a timely fashion (the license itself was reinstate within a week of getting the original ticket itself) and partly because I had complied with it such a long time ago anyway.  Either way, I'm pretty happy.

[SVT666]

How will this affect your insurance rates?

[MaxPower]

Update:

So, I just got back from my court date and a pretty smile and a spiffy shirt later and the charges were completely dropped.  I showed the judge and the prosecutor all of forms that I had; the notice of compliance, the reinstated license, the refund of my reinstatement fee, etc, and she simply dropped the charges.  Partly because it was all taken care of in a timely fashion (the license itself was reinstate within a week of getting the original ticket itself) and partly because I had complied with it such a long time ago anyway.  Either way, I'm pretty happy.

Nice work.  We had one like this over the summer but it was about suspended insurance instead of a license.  Almost the same facts and the prosecutor dropped the charge instantly when she heard the story saw the paperwork.

[Xer0]

How will this affect your insurance rates?

No clue, but I don't think it will have any effect on them since it was just dropped.  Or rather, I should say, I hope.

Nice work.  We had one like this over the summer but it was about suspended insurance instead of a license.  Almost the same facts and the prosecutor dropped the charge instantly when she heard the story saw the paperwork.

Yeah, I was surprised just how easily they dropped it.  Being polite and actually making an atempt to fix it too I'm sure helped aswell


On a side note, on that day alone there were six cases for prostitution.  Me and my dad were pretty shocked.

[TurboDan]

On a side note, on that day alone there were six cases for prostitution.  Me and my dad were pretty shocked.

Haha, court is pretty interesting - always something interesting going on.  I used to have to go a lot when I worked for the newspaper.  I loved sitting back and listening to all of the cases.

[bing_oh]

No clue, but I don't think it will have any effect on them since it was just dropped.  Or rather, I should say, I hope.

Yeah, I was surprised just how easily they dropped it.  Being polite and actually making an atempt to fix it too I'm sure helped aswell

On a side note, on that day alone there were six cases for prostitution.  Me and my dad were pretty shocked.

So you got your ticket dropped and you got a date all at the same time? Not a bad day's work...

[dazzleman]

So you got your ticket dropped and you got a date all at the same time? Not a bad day's work...

Let's hope he doesn't end up like the Shamwow guy.....

[dazzleman]

Haha, court is pretty interesting - always something interesting going on.  I used to have to go a lot when I worked for the newspaper.  I loved sitting back and listening to all of the cases.

It is pretty interesting.  Last time I was in court for a speeder, I was almost disappointed that they took my case and got me out of there so fast.  It was pretty entertaining.

[IrishGuy]

It is pretty interesting.  Last time I was in court for a speeder, I was almost disappointed that they took my case and got me out of there so fast.  It was pretty entertaining.

I was in court once and let's just say I really felt out of place. I was dressed nice and looked clean-cut. The other clientele? Not so much.

[dazzleman]

I was in court once and let's just say I really felt out of place. I was dressed nice and looked clean-cut. The other clientele? Not so much.

And you probably got treated better as a result.  In that situation, it's good to stand out in a good way, and not blend in the dirtbags that they're used to dealing with day in and day out.

[IrishGuy]

And you probably got treated better as a result.  In that situation, it's good to stand out in a good way, and not blend in the dirtbags that they're used to dealing with day in and day out.

Yeah, I told them how my charge was reduced (even though the officer never let them know). The judge told the officer to take me aside and take care of it for me.

[dazzleman]

Yeah, I told them how my charge was reduced (even though the officer never let them know). The judge told the officer to take me aside and take care of it for me.

What was the ticket that your dad helped you out with, or a different one?

[IrishGuy]

What was the ticket that your dad helped you out with, or a different one?

No idea what you mean - I got out of it based on my good looks 

[Xer0]

I was in court once and let's just say I really felt out of place. I was dressed nice and looked clean-cut. The other clientele? Not so much.

I know.  I can't believe just how scumy some of these people look when they go to court.  I wasn't full blown crazy with a shirt and tie but I did have a nice button down, slacks, and dress shoes on, shaven and hair all nice and pretty.  In comparison, people were in shorts, flip flops, stained shirts, etc.  Looking like you actually care about being there would probably go a long way toward getting some lineincy from the judge

[dazzleman]

I agree.  Looking as if you take the court appearance seriously (even if you don't) goes a long way in getting leniency.

[TurboDan]

I was in court once and let's just say I really felt out of place. I was dressed nice and looked clean-cut. The other clientele? Not so much.

Haha, yeah same here.  The last time I went to court (for myself) was a speeding ticket in 2004. I wore a suit, and one guy asked me if I was his lawyer that he had hired over the phone and hadn't met yet.