What to Do if You Have a License Suspension in New Orleans

Did you get pulled over for a traffic violation in New Orleans, only to be told by the police officer that you had a driver’s license suspension? Were you completely unaware of this suspension?

If so, you aren’t the only one.

You would be amazed how many clients find out their license is suspended when they get pulled over. I see it happening time and again, usually because the person missed a notice from the court in the mail.

Maybe you had to move because of the hurricane or another reason, and the notice was sent to your old address. Perhaps your court date for a traffic ticket kept getting pushed back due to COVID-19, and you simply forgot about it.

Whatever the reason, if you’re caught driving on a suspended license in Louisiana or know of your suspension and need help, the best thing to do is contact me, the Traffic Ticket Lady.

I’m a qualified New Orleans traffic lawyer here to help you pay less for car insurance and save points on your license after your license is suspended.

Take Action: Find Out if Your Driver’s License is Suspended

If you aren’t sure whether your license is suspended, you first need to check. You can view the status of your Louisiana driver’s license at ExpressLane.org, which is operated by the state office of motor vehicles, aka the Louisiana DMV office.

Click “Check Status” from the site and enter your driver’s license number and the last four digits of your social security number. From there, it will tell you if there’s an issue with your license.

ExpressLane.org will either notify you that there are no outstanding issues with your license or will let you know if it’s been flagged as “suspended” or “unable to renew.”

If your license is suspended, it could be an outstanding traffic violation or a consequence of not paying child support.

If you cannot renew your license, you may have a car insurance cancellation or something of that nature. Your license won’t automatically be suspended, but if you won’t be able to renew your license or registration,

So You Have a Suspended Driver’s License—Now What?

When people have a suspended driver’s license, they first want to resolve the issues surrounding the suspension so that they can get back on the road. However, drivers often make the mistake of paying the traffic violations, which can cause more problems than it solves.

Paying Traffic Tickets Means You Are Pleading Guilty

The first thing you need to know about traffic tickets and violations is that if you pay the ticket, you are admitting to guilt and essentially pleading guilty in the local Louisiana district court.

Clients often tell me that they went to the DMV to resolve a traffic issue, and the clerk said that if they paid for the tickets and brought back a paid receipt, they could get their driver’s license back.

So they do.

My clients go to various courts, wherever they owe the money, and they pay up so they can legally get back on the road.

When they do this, one of two problems often arises (or worse, both). Either they find out later their license is still suspended, or they can’t afford car insurance after paying the traffic tickets, which is effectively pleading guilty to all the violations.

Driving With a Suspended License

So, let’s say you paid the fees and thought you would get your license back. And you do, at least temporarily.

A couple of weeks later, you get a notice from the DMV which states that your license will be suspended… again.

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence. Because when you paid that stack of tickets, you admit guilt, and somewhere in that stack is a “driving while suspended” charge. That charge, which you just plead guilty to, now carries an automatic one-year driver’s license suspension period.

Before paying those traffic tickets or a license reinstatement fee, contact a traffic lawyer to make sure your attempts to improve the situation don’t make your driving record worse.

Car Insurance After a License Suspension

Another issue clients run into after paying off traffic violations—especially reckless driving charges—and admitting their guilt is the cost of car insurance.

When all those violations you paid hit your driving record, your insurance might rise sky-high. After you’ve pleaded guilty to traffic violations, the points on your Louisiana driver’s license will make it difficult to get registered. They will make your car insurance more expensive, sometimes even to the point where you cannot afford it.

Many times, it may be cheaper to hire a traffic attorney to get your suspended license issues resolved than to pay additional court fines. By hiring a lawyer to help you get your license back, you’ll be able to go to court, get some fresh court dates, and work on getting those charges reduced, so don’t set yourself up for expensive insurance or even the inability to get insurance.

If you have a commercial driver’s license, the consequences of a driver’s license suspension can be even more severe.

If you have questions about resolving your traffic issues, I’d be happy to help. Call or text my Louisiana office at (504)233-8529 for a free consultation.