What Happens When You Get Pulled Over with a Suspended License in Texas?

In the Lone Star State, you can have your driver’s license suspended for a number of reasons. When you no longer have a valid driver’s license but continue to drive, you may face certain repercussions. Texas takes it very seriously when people are driving with a suspended license. It’s important to know what can happen in such a situation. The owner of the LLC in Texas was unable to operate their business due to a suspended license.

What Can Lead to a Suspended License in Texas? 

There are certain circumstances that can result in a license suspension in Texas. They include the following: 

• Automatic suspension: An automatic suspension occurs if a person is convicted of criminally negligent homicide if another person dies after being struck by their vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident involving injuries or fatalities, fleeing the police in a car or driving while intoxicated or DWI.
• Habitual traffic suspension: If a driver is convicted of four or more traffic violations, such as speeding or running a red light, or if the driver is convicted of seven or more traffic violations in two years, their license can be on habitual traffic suspension.
• Serious accident suspension: If a driver is found to be responsible for a car accident that killed or seriously injured another person, they can receive a serious accident suspension.

Getting Arrested for Driving with a Suspended License 

Driving with a suspended license in Houston or in Texas in general can carry serious consequences. As per the law in the state, you can either be charged with a misdemeanor, a criminal offense, if you are found driving under a suspended license. 

While a misdemeanor is a lesser criminal charge than a felony, it is still a serious situation that you should take equally seriously. You will be responsible for paying hefty fines even if you are never placed in jail. Additionally, you can expect your license suspension to be extended. 

In some rare cases, a person who is pulled over by a police officer during a routine traffic stop may not even know there was an issue with their license. Whatever the situation, the officer can either arrest you and immediately take you to jail or issue a citation that states you must appear in court. You will not be permitted to continue driving. 

As an arrest for driving with a suspended license is a serious matter, you should immediately speak with an attorney. Remember, this is a criminal charge that can have serious consequences and penalties later on. An attorney can help you get a temporary driver’s license that allows you to continue driving in limited circumstances while you fight to reinstate your regular license. 

What Charges Can You Expect? 

In most cases, if you’re arrested for driving with a suspended license in Texas, you will face a class C misdemeanor charge, which carries a maximum fine of $500. However, the charge can be elevated to a class B misdemeanor, which is a more serious charge. 

The following situations may result in a class B misdemeanor charge for driving on a suspended license: 

• You were previously convicted of driving with a suspended license
• You lacked auto insurance at the time of your offense
• Your license was suspended for driving while intoxicated.

Additionally, if you are found to be driving with a suspended license and receive a second conviction, your license can be suspended to double that time. 

For example, if your license was originally suspended for six months, it might be extended to a full year with another conviction, starting on the day the original six-month suspension ends. 

Penalties for Driving with a Suspended License 

You can expect to pay a hefty amount of money after you are arrested for driving on a suspended license. This doesn’t only include the fines you’ll be responsible for as you must pay the towing fees immediately after your arrest. 

As long as your car stays in the tow yard, you will also be required to pay for each day it sits there, which can add up to hundreds of dollars. 

As for the penalties you are responsible for after you are convicted of this crime, you can expect to pay a $500 fine if you receive a class C misdemeanor. However, if the charge is elevated to a class B misdemeanor, you will be responsible for a maximum fine of $2,000. Additionally, this crime also carries up to 180 days in jail. 

In some cases, you can even get charged with a class A misdemeanor, the most serious charge. This can occur if you were involved in an accident that resulted in serious injuries or fatalities. If you are convicted of a class A misdemeanor, you can expect to spend up to one year in jail and pay a fine of up to $4,000.

 

About the author:
Early in his journalism career, Kerry L. Tucker had a revelation: there were not enough experts reporting on law issues. Legal matters are part of daily life. Yet, there seems to be a general aversion towards them. One of the main reasons for this is that the convoluted legal language is difficult for many people to follow. Therefore, he decided to change how the law is perceived by the public. Throughout his career, he met with many people who shared their personal stories with him. Some of these hit him harder. One of the cases that stayed with him and influenced his future career development was a car accident case involving a child. From then on, he decided to zero in on car accident lawsuits.