Driving without a license can land you in a bit of trouble with the law. Each state has a different set of rules regarding vehicle registration and appropriate licensure required to operate a vehicle. The one constant between all of the 50 states is that driving a car without a proper license is illegal.
Punishments can range from having to pay a small fee to losing the privilege to drive personal vehicles for a couple of months. Most states will be lenient if this is the first time a person is pulled over for driving without a license, but with multiple offenses, the punishment can end up being more severe.
Too many driving offenses can cause significant damage to your criminal record as successive offenses usually escalate to the level of receiving a misdemeanor or a felony.
FINES
Drivers caught without a license may receive a small fine, which, under certain circumstances, can be waived if the driver can convince the officer or traffic court of an acceptable reason as to why they did not have their license with them. It could be something as simple as they were in a hurry to get to work and failed to grab their license.
Some states will be lenient the first time a person gets pulled over without an appropriate driving license, but it depends on their overall traffic record. For those living in a stricter state when it comes to traffic laws, they may incur a fine between $50 to up to $5000.
LICENSE SUSPENSION
Another typical outcome of this kind of offense is license suspension. The amount of time the suspension lasts depends on a driver’s overall driving record, but generally, expect a timeframe between three to six months.
VEHICLE IMPOUNDMENT
Besides having a license suspended, some states may opt to remove your vehicle from your possession. It may be held in a tow yard until the license suspension period has passed. Vehicle impoundment can be costly because each day a towed car is parked at the lot, a daily fee is charged and must be paid in full before a person may retrieve their vehicle. As you can see, being caught driving without a license can cost a person to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to recover their vehicle.
IMPRISONMENT
Driving without a license is a misdemeanor, and as such, can land a person in jail. Time spent in prison for being caught without the proper driving authorization can be anywhere from a period of 10 days up to 180 days, depending on how strict driving laws are in your location. Committing the same offense multiple times increases the likelihood of an even longer jail sentence, and charges may be punishable up to the felony level.
Once the criminal charge rises to the felony level, a person can go to jail for up to five years, be charged a fine in the thousands of dollars, and have a lengthy license suspension.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Some states will have driving offenders pay a small fine and enroll in a community service program. The person is required to complete usually between 500 to 1000 hours of community service.
WHICH VEHICLES NEED LICENSURE?
Any vehicle operating on public roads, besides a bicycle, must have proper licensure. For passenger vehicles, this is a Class D license. Motorcycles and motorized scooters would fall under a Class M license category while 18-wheelers or big rigs need a commercial license class A license.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET INTO A CAR ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE?
If you get into a car accident while operating a vehicle without a license, the chances are high that your car will get hauled to an impound lot, and you will need to pay a fine. Additionally, you may end up going straight to jail. In these cases, the driver should consult an attorney that specializes in accidents. If you are operating a motorcycle, consult a motorcycle accident lawyer. Likewise, for passenger vehicles, consult an attorney who specializes in car accidents.
Driving without a license is a punishable offense that can have significant consequences. Drivers should educate themselves on the outcomes that can occur from taking the risk of driving illegally without a proper license.
