Has the North Carolina DMV suspended or revoked your license? What about the courts? If this has happened to you, you likely have found it difficult to take care of your responsibilities. From getting a job to keeping it, to picking your children up from school, to getting groceries, to buying tools and equipment for your house, the loss of your privilege to drive is challenging. Even once you have done everything you’re supposed to do to satisfy the court and the DMV, it may not be easy to get your license reinstated.
You may have even attempted to request the reinstatement of your license in the past, only for you to get a confusing, quick rejection. Whatever situation you are in, you need to know how to get a suspended license reinstated. To help, this is our step-by-step guide on what to do to have the best chance of getting your suspended license reinstated.
First of all, you need to read the notice closely and follow all the steps it lists. You might simply have to wait a certain amount of time, such as 30 days, six months, or a year. Other times you might need to take a required class or attend specific meetings. You may have already heard this in court from your judge, or it may be the DMV telling you for the first time what you’re facing. If you’re not sure what it means, you should call a Lenoir traffic lawyer at Wilson, Lackey, Rohr & Hall, P.C. immediately.
Make sure you follow all the rules and do not, by any means, drive with a revoked or suspended license. If you are caught driving with a revoked license it may not only increase the length of time you have to wait to drive legally again, but also may create additional barriers to qualify for reinstatement.
You may be facing a number of unpaid fees associated with your suspended license. These may be court costs and fines. If the judge ordered you to take classes associated with a DWI/DUI conviction, you will probably have to finish the classes and pay the provider fees before DMV will be notified that you have done everything. You will have to pay or otherwise resolve all of these fees before you have any hope of reinstating your revoked or suspended license. If you are not sure if you have any outstanding fees, fines, or costs, you can contact the county court that handled the arrest (or where your license was suspended) or you can pull your driving history. If you don’t know how to figure this out, contact us at Wilson, Lackey, Rohr & Hall, P.C. The legal team can help you to collect the necessary information.
Once you’re eligible to get your license back, you will need to apply for a new license. It probably won’t be as simple as when you last renewed your license. Sometimes, even when you think you’re eligible, handling a few problems may uncover others. You will have to deal with them, too. DMV may make you jump through some additional hoops, such as installing an ignition interlock device or having to retake the driving test. And there will be new fees attached to your renewal as well, although the exact fee may depend on what your license was suspended for in the first place.
When you go to your local DMV office they will tell you, if anything, you need to do in order to receive your license. But once you’ve done everything and are completely ready to get your new license, you will fill out the necessary paperwork, pay DMV, and get to take a new photograph for the license. Then you’ll receive a temporary license while the official license is created. They will mail it to your home address, so make sure the address is correct.
Once you start this journey, you may find that you need legal assistance in order to have your suspended license reinstated. Generally, if you had a handful of minor driving violations or unpaid tickets that resulted in your suspended license, the process of getting it reinstated is straightforward and, as long as you follow DMV’s steps, you will receive a new license without a problem.
However, if your license was suspended due to an alcohol-related arrest or conviction, or you kept driving and got caught driving while your license was revoked, you may find that additional barriers are in front of you. This is especially the case if you have been arrested more than once for driving under the influence or driving while impaired. In those cases, you might go to the DMV and be told you are not allowed to apply for a new license. Sometimes this is simply because the court system has not fully updated your paperwork, and so this lag time is actually holding you down (even though you did everything you were supposed to). Other times you might need to go in front of a judge to modify a conviction or request the reinstatement of your suspended license.
Regardless, you may find that you do not want to go about any of this on your own. If so, contact the law firm of Wilson, Lackey, Rohr & Hall, P.C. If you have done everything you’re supposed to, you may need help to get the state to meet its obligations. Don’t go at it alone. Let our legal team offer you a helping hand.
Whether you have had your request for a license reinstatement rejected in the past, or you’re currently struggling with your job and family life because of the lack of a license, pick up your phone and give our legal team here at Wilson, Lackey, Rohr & Hall, P.C. a call. We will go over your case with you and help you plan the best course of action for having your license reinstated. Even if you have been rejected by the court system or DMV in the past, let our expert legal team go to work for you.