What If I Continue to Drive After Losing My License for a DUI in Georgia?

Every state across America requires drivers to have a license to be on the road. It is a privilege to be able to drive, and each state has laws that criminalize driving without a license or while having a suspended license.

There are three different ways in which you can lose your license in Georgia:

• Revocation – Your driving privileges have been canceled and cannot be reinstated without you requesting approval from the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
• Suspension – Your driving privileges are temporarily out of service.  Your license cannot be restored without going to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. 
• Cancellation – Your license is withdrawn due to not filling out a license application correctly or other reasons. Cancellation can also occur when a person loses their immigration status, such as when a visa expires. 

In Georgia, many people lose their license after they are arrested for a DUI or lose it after they have received their sentence for a DUI. After losing their license, some people make the mistake of continuing to drive. They think there is a slim chance they will get caught or that they are not endangering anyone, so to them, it is not a big deal. However, if your license has been revoked or suspended and you continue to drive, you stand to suffer even more severe consequences. 

O.C.G.A. §40-5-121 outlines the punishment for driving while your license is suspended or revoked. For a first offense for driving while your license is suspended in Georgia, you could face fines up to $500 or jail time for at least two days, or both. A second or third conviction for driving with a suspended or revoked license within five years will be considered a high and aggravated misdemeanor. The punishment is heightened for second offenses and will consist of a fine between $1,000 and $2,500 as well as jail time for no less than ten days nor more than twelve months. 

After a fourth or subsequent conviction, you will be guilty of a felony and will spend between one and five years in prison and have a fine between $2,500 and $5,000. 

In addition to fines or jail time, you will lose your license for six months on top of the current suspension. (consecutive to the current suspension).  Once the period of suspension or revocation is up, you will have to pay a reinstatement fee that ranges between $200 and $410. 

Options When you do not have a License: 

While not having your license can be difficult, the best course to protect yourself is to rely on friends or family for rides or use public transportation. Georgia has many options that you can take advantage of from MARTA to UBER or LYFT. Even though it takes more time and costs money, it protects you from facing criminal charges. 

Contact Us:

If you have received a DUI, you should contact a Georgia DUI Attorney immediately. We can help protect your driving privileges! However, even if you have already lost your driving privileges, we can still help you. Call us today and let us help you get your life back in order.