You cannot drive on a suspended license. Not having a valid driver\’s license really impacts your life, making it harder to go to work and cutting into your freedom and social activities. If you lose your license, you need to know what steps to take to get it back.
Exactly what you\’ll need to do depends on the specific reason that you lost the license to begin with. However, here are five common steps to help you understand the likely process:
- Wait until the suspension period has ended. Do not drive at all during this time. Getting caught doing so can lead to more charges and increase the length of the suspension.
- Pay any fines and the reissue fee. This is mandatory if you want to drive legally again.
- If you lost your license due to drunk driving, you may need to complete a DUI treatment program as ordered by the court.
- If you had a mental or physical disorder, you may need to get a Driver Medical Evaluation that clears you to drive again.
- If you lost your license and got a prison sentence for the incident — multiple drunk driving charges, for example — then you have to serve that sentence first.
As you can see, the specifics change significantly depending on your situation, but the key is to understand exactly what is required of you so that you can take the necessary steps. Don\’t rush it. Never do anything that is going to potentially make the situation worse, no matter how important it is to get behind the wheel. Look into all of your legal options and move forward.
