Restoring Your Driver’s License in North Carolina

Restoring Your Driver’s License in North Carolina

Driving is an essential part of life. Without a driver’s license it is difficult to get to work, to school, go shopping, and take care of all your typical daily needs. Unfortunately, there are some circumstances that could result in a suspension of your driving privileges. When that happens, you will want to know how to restore your license. There are various reasons why your license was suspended. An experienced Charlotte attorney will help you restore your driver’s license in North Carolina.

Suspension For Failure to Appear

If you have a scheduled court hearing date for a misdemeanor traffic violation, you must attend. If you fail to show up, the judge could, in some circumstances, suspend your driver’s license. Most traffic violations are minor, but some offenses result in criminal charges, such as reckless driving or driving without insurance. If you will not be able to attend the hearing, you must contact the court within 20 days to reschedule. To get your driver’s license reinstated after a failure to appear, you will need to:

Attend the court appearance regarding the ticket
Pay the fines and court fees for the traffic ticket
Pay an administrative fee for the missed court appearance
Follow the process through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which includes paying reinstatement fees.

Suspension For DWI

If you are arrested for DUI/DWI, you are subject to an immediate temporary suspension of your driver’s license. The suspension is in place for 30 days. If convicted of DWI you will have your license suspended for a period of one year. If you refuse to submit to a BAC (blood alcohol content) test, you will get an automatic suspension of your license for one year, which is a separate charge.

A second DWI conviction will result in the suspension of your driving privileges for two years.

To get your license back after a DWI conviction, you will need to wait until the suspension period is over. After that, you can apply through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for license reinstatement. You will need to pay any associated fees.

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Suspension For Traffic Violations

North Carolina utilizes the point system for traffic violations. When you are guilty of a traffic violation, you will accumulate a number of points on your license. If you receive 12 or more points in a three-year period, your license is subject to suspension for at least 60 days. If you have already had suspensions in the past, the length of time your license is suspended will increase. After the suspension period is over, you will be able to pay a restoration fee and other fees, such as a service fee, to the DMV to get your license back.

Seeking Limited Driving Privileges

North Carolina DMV provides limited driving privileges in some cases. This is also called a hardship license. You may be allowed to drive for specific reasons, such as to work, school, or medical appointments. You must attend a hearing where the judge will determine whether to allow you LDP. Typically, you must complete certain requirements in order to qualify. For example, if you lost your license due to DWI, you may be required to complete a substance abuse assessment. In addition, you will need to provide proof of your need for the LDP and proof of insurance, as well as pay any fees. It is entirely up to the court to decide whether to allow you a hardship license.

If your driver’s license was suspended, you will want to learn more about how to resolve the matter as soon as possible. Contact us at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to consult with our legal team.

The criminal defense attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC make it their mission to zealously defend their clients on a wide range of criminal matters at both the state and federal levels. These matters may include any charge from traffic offenses; DWI/DUI; drug charges (from simple possession to possession with intent to distribute and trafficking); gun permit denials; weapons offenses; and property crimes (larceny, breaking and entering, robbery, fraud, embezzlement, white collar offenses); to sexually related offenses (indecent exposure; sexual assault, crimes against nature, removal from sex offender registry); and violent crimes (domestic violence; assault; manslaughter; homicide, murder). Other legal issues that Arnold & Smith, PLLC criminal clients may be facing include restraining orders, restraining order and probation violations, expungements; appeals; and immigration issues related to criminal charges. Our criminal defense attorneys are passionate about ensuring that individuals empower themselves by being informed about their constitutional rights, and stand at the ready to fight in the defense of those facing criminal charges.

Source:

https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_20/gs_20-179.3.html

https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/Pages/default.aspx

Image Credit:

https://www.freeimages.com/photo/speedway-1198194

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