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If your license has been suspended in NY, there are a few things you’ll need to know. With the right information, you stand the chance of beating your suspension before it ever hits your record. That’s where WinIt comes in.
A suspended license can leave you stranded with no way to drive to work, to school, or anywhere else. They also come with nasty fees on top of the fines for your actual conviction. But, sometimes, it’s not the costly fees that hurt the most.
A suspended license comes with plenty of non-monetary penalties. You could lose your insurance, you could lose your license, and you might even lose your job. The list of penalties go on and on, but it’s not all bad news from here on out.
With the help of WinIt and an article like this, you just might find the information you need to beat your traffic tickets before they ever lead to a suspension. And, if your license already has been suspended, this information just might help you get it back.
What Does It Mean if Your NY License Is Suspended?
In legal terms, a suspended—or revoked—license is not a valid license. In more understandable terms, a suspended license means no more driving. The government takes away your “driving privilege” either until the problem is resolved or the time period elapses. That could be a few months or forever.
There are two kinds of suspensions in NY: definite and indefinite. A definite suspension lasts for a set period of time. Common time periods in NY are two and three months.
Indefinite suspensions last forever until you resolve the problem leading to suspension. Examples include suspensions related to equipment or lack of insurance. How long your license is suspended will depend on the violation for which you are convicted.
If you are ever caught driving on a suspended license, you may be charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor. Since driving on a suspended license is a misdemeanor, you could get a criminal record, face additional civil penalties, and potentially even go to prison.
Knowing what causes the court to suspend your license in the first place can help you stave off these unwanted penalties.
What Causes a License to Be Suspended in NY?
There are plenty of ways for your license to be suspended in NY. In fact, there are over 2,000 sections of traffic law on the books today with hundreds of ways to get a ticket. And many of those tickets lead to mandatory license suspensions.
Of course, a few violations are more common than others. To prepare the best possible case against your suspension, it’s more practical to focus on the most common causes of suspension. Here are a few of them:
- Driving without proper insurance.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI).
- Getting three or more traffic tickets within 18 months.
- Failing to pay a traffic ticket fine.
- Forgetting to file a motor vehicle accident report.
If you are convicted of one of these violations, you’re almost certain to have your license suspended.
A judge can also suspend your license over things that aren’t related to your driving record whatsoever. One example of how this might happen is if you fail to pay child support. It could be because of an honest mistake or a malicious attempt at cheating the system. Either way, you’ll have your license suspended until you pay up.
To make matters worse, there’s always the possibility that you did something wrong without knowing it. That could have gotten your license suspended. For this reason, it’s always good to check if your license is suspended every now and then.
How Can I Check if My License Is Suspended in NY?
The New York State government has set up a portal to help people manage their driving information: My License, Permit, or ID. You can use that portal to get a ton of information about your license and whether or not it’s still valid in the state of NY.
The My License, Permit, or ID portal shows you a variety of information pertaining to your license, making it one of the most effective ways of checking whether your license is suspended.
The portal will allow you to see the current state of your license, the number of points on your record, whether your card is about to expire, and more.
The My License, Permit, or ID portal not only helps you see whether your license is currently suspended but also shows whether your license is about to be suspended. It does so by showing you how many points are active on your license.
Keeping track of how many points are on your license can help you prevent it from being suspended. If you get more than 11 points within an 18-month period, your license can be suspended. How long your license will be suspended varies depending on the type of suspension.
How Long Can Your License Be Suspended in NY?
Like we mentioned earlier in the article, there are two kinds of suspensions: definite and indefinite. Indefinite suspensions last until you resolve the problem that led to suspension. Definite suspensions last until the end of the set suspension period.
Here are a few examples of violations and the time for which they may be suspended:
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol: 90 days.
- Getting another traffic ticket while on probation: 60 days.
- Most other suspensions: 60 days.
Although suspensions don’t last very long, you also have to watch out for license revocations. License revocations function much like license suspensions in NY, but they last longer and have more severe penalties.
Driver license revocations in NY tend to last between six months and a year. That said, there is such a thing as permanent revocations. There are currently thousands of people in NY who have been banned for life from driving due to frequent DUI convictions.
A revoked license is also an invalid license. Driving on a revoked license is punishable by the same penalties as driving on a suspended license, including jail time. Just like with a license suspension, you will need to go through the process of getting your license restored before you can drive again.
How Do I Get My License Unsuspended in NY?
The process for restoring a revoked or suspended license in NY is long and difficult without a lawyer. It starts with a formal request for the Department of Motor Vehicles’ Driver Improvement Unit (DIU). That request must satisfy the DIU’s rigorous application requirements before you can continue the process.
If your application doesn’t meet the requirements, you will have to rework it until it does. However, given the long wait times, you might only get one chance before your suspension runs its course.
Once the DIU has approved your application, you can move onto the next step. If your license has been revoked, the next step is to apply for a brand new driver license. This will come with extra fines and fees.
If your license has been suspended, the next step is to pay the suspension termination fee.
What Fines and Fees Are Associated with a Suspended License in NY?
The most notable fee associated with a suspended license in NY is the suspension termination fee. This fee varies depending on the nature of your conviction and what kind of suspension the court decides fits the violation.
If you are convicted of a violation that results in a definite suspension, you will have to pay $50. However, if that suspension were for a violation of the state’s Zero Tolerance law, you will have to pay $100.
A few violations can come with additional civil penalties. These do not directly impact your driver license suspension and often coincide therewith. However, if you do not pay these penalties, your license may be suspended until you do.
Lifting an indefinite suspension oftentimes doesn’t involve a fine or fee. However, you might have to spend far more than $50 on repairs, modifications, or other alterations to your vehicle.
For example, if your license were to be suspended for not having insurance, you will not be able to pay the suspension termination fee. Instead, you will have to purchase insurance. Needless to say, the annual cost of insurance is far more than $50.
How Do I Pay a Suspended License Online in NY?
There are two things you might need to pay when your license is suspended: the ticket and the suspension lift fee.
If your license is suspended as a result of a traffic violation, you will have to pay the traffic ticket’s fines, fees, surcharges, and other penalties. That can be done directly through the WinIt app for iPhone or Android.
You can also pay the DMV or TVB directly either in person, over the phone, or online. However, not all DMV locations offer the same payment methods.
The next thing you’ll have to worry about is the suspension lift fee, which we talked about in the previous section of this article. To do so, go to the DMV’s suspension lift payment portal. Click here for the exact link.
On that webpage, you will see several form-fillable boxes and a few checkboxes. The first of two steps is to enter your personal information into the system. Start with your nine-digit DMV identification number. Next, select your legal gender and enter your birthdate, social security number, and email address.
Step two is to enter your payment information. The system might take a while to respond, but be sure not to refresh the page. Refreshing the page might cause the system to send payment multiple times.
FAQs about License Suspensions
So there you have it! This article covered the most relevant information on suspended licenses in NY, but there’s much more to talk about. Everybody has their own individual comments, questions, and concerns.
If you still have a couple questions, feel free to comment them below. Our team of license suspension experts will provide detailed answers as soon as possible. In the meantime, feel free to check out the following frequently asked questions:
Can You Drive to Work on a Suspended License?
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot drive to work on a suspended license. In fact, you can’t drive anywhere on a suspended license. If you’re caught while driving on a suspended, revoked, or otherwise invalid license, you may be charged with aggravated unlicensed operation.
However, there is one way that you can regain your driving privileges so that you can drive to work on a suspended license. By applying for a conditional or restricted license, you open the door to potentially driving to certain places while your license is suspended.
To do so, you need to file an application with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Here’s a list of offices and their contact information. Once you’ve filed your application, the folks at the DMV will review it and see if you qualify for this kind of suspension exception.
If the DMV approves your application for a conditional or restricted license, you will be able to drive despite having your license suspended. The best features of this program enable you to drive to work, school, medical facilities, etc.
Be sure to pay attention to the fine print. The specific details of your license will determine whether or not you will be arrested for driving. For example, if your license is restricted to allow you only to drive to and from work, do not drive anywhere else.
Can You Buy a Car with a Suspended License in NY?
Yes, you can buy a car while your license is suspended. But you better make sure to bring a friend, since you won’t be able to drive the car off the lot.
If your license is suspended, you are not allowed to drive for any reason. The only exceptions are conditional and restricted licenses, mentioned in the previous section of this article. That means you won’t be able to drive the vehicle from the dealership to your home.
There are currently no laws in NY that prevent people from purchasing vehicles without valid licenses. There are, however, plenty of laws that prevent people from driving those vehicles without valid licenses.
Can You Register a Car with a Suspended License in NY?
Yes, you can register a car with a suspended license in NY. In fact, you don’t need a license at all in order to register a car in the state. But just because you can register the car doesn’t mean that you can drive it.
In order to register a vehicle, all you need is proof of ownership, valid government ID, and a few other documents. You do not need a valid license to register a car. You do, however, need a valid government ID.
A valid government ID is any kind of ID issued by the government that hasn’t expired. That could include a non-driver ID or even your suspended license. Even suspended driver licenses are considered valid ID.
It is important to note that ID and driver licenses are two different things. Yes, you can use a suspended driver license as an ID. However, you cannot use a suspended driver license to drive a car.
How Long Is a Suspended License on Your Record?
Driver license suspensions and revocations will stay on your record forever. However, they aren’t always active and they aren’t always visible. That’s because of two things:
- Violations expire after a period of time.
- Your driving record abstract does not show your lifetime record.
The Department of Motor Vehicles will always keep records of your driving history. It can also use those records to penalize you or give you benefits, such as higher or lower insurance premiums. However, suspensions are only considered “active” until they’re resolved.
Most suspensions will resolve after two to three months, at which time they will disappear from your license. Most revocations will disappear from your license once you get a new one after about six months or a year. However, they will stay on your driving record for a much longer time.
Suspensions stay on your driving record for up to four years from the date the suspension or revocation ended. Let’s look at an example: If your license were to be suspended for three months, the suspension would stay on your record for a total of four years and three months.
After that period of time, however, the suspension will no longer appear on your abstract. Since insurance companies in NY are only allowed to view your abstract, you’ll finally be in the clear.
As long as you use WinIt to help fight off any traffic tickets, keep your points low, and connect yourself with lawyers, you’ll be less likely to have your license suspended in the future.
