Driving is a privilege, and in the state of California under Vehicle Code 14601, it is illegal to knowingly drive a vehicle with a suspended or revoked license. It’s also against the law to operate a vehicle without a valid driver’s license. Under Vehicle Code 12500, driving without a valid license may be considered a traffic violation but could actually be charged as a misdemeanor in more serious cases. As a misdemeanor, driving on a suspended license can result in an arrest.
Penalties
If you should be arrested for driving with a revoked or suspended license, you will face penalties that may vary depending on whether or not this is your first offense. First time offenses may include fines from $300 to $1000, and jail time from 5 to 6 months. For second or subsequent offenses, the penalties may vary by the circumstances specific to your case but if the previous offense was within the past 5 years and violated any section of VC 14601, 14601.1, 14601.2, or 14601.5 then the penalties will include fines from $500 to $2000, and jail time from 10 days to one year.
If the previous offense happened within the past 5 years and violated any section of VC 14601, 14601.1, 14601.2, or 14601.5, but was granted probation, then the court will demand that the individual be sent to county jail for a minimum of 10 days.
If you were pulled over and found to be operating a vehicle without a valid license, whether from California or another state, or another country, you could have various consequences.
For minor offenses, the result could be a ticket for the infraction and for more serious offenses, you could receive a misdemeanor charge with up to $1000 in fines as well as time in a county jail for up to 6 months.
If you should find yourself in this unfortunate situation, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at Ticket Dismissers. We’re here for you.