My license is suspended because I paid a “driving while suspended” ticket

Hi, my name is Heather Ford and I am a traffic attorney in the city of New Orleans- also known as the Traffic Ticket Lady. Let’s talk about what you should do or what your options are if you have paid or pled guilty to a “driving while suspended” ticket.

Before I get started, if you ever have any questions about a suspended license, a violation for driving with a suspended license, a traffic ticket, or anything of that nature, you can always shoot me a text or call me at 504-233-8529. You can also schedule a free strategy session at  traffictickettalks.com.

So the thing about the driving while suspended ticket that some people don’t realize is that if you get a conviction for that, it will suspend your license for an additional year. And so people sometimes, some people say, well, I wasn’t convicted, I just paid a ticket. Well, just to clear that up, paying is the same thing as pleading guilty, whether it’s a speeding ticket or red light ticket, when you pay it, you are agreeing that you’re guilty unless you’re doing some type of diversion or something that holds it off your record. 

So if you pay a driving while suspended ticket, what people find out is that’s 40 or 60, 90 days later, that their license is suspended and now they’re trying to figure out what their options are. Normally you have two options. 

The first thing we try to do is see if we can get that conviction withdrawn. Is there an easy procedure to do that? It depends on the court. Every court is different on how they handle that but that’s usually the first step to try. This is a more labor-intensive, more expensive process than if we had just dealt with the ticket on the front-end. So if you ever have a ticket for driving while suspended, tell them don’t just pay it. You really want to go to court and request that it is reduced to a different charge. Otherwise, you’re just shooting yourself in the foot if the goal is to get your license back. 

The next option, if you are given an amendment from the court, is to go to the DMV and request a hardship license. That is something that some people are qualified for and it depends on your record. The license does have restrictions on your ability to travel legally while driving a car, so it is not the most ideal situation depending on if you need a license as part of your duties for work and it might not be sufficient enough. You certainly don’t want to rely on it if possible, but the hardship license still a better option than a suspended license for an additional year. 

So step one is to try to work with the court and see if there’s any way to withdraw the guilty plea. The next step is to look into a hardship license. An expungement is also an option but it can be expensive and time-consuming and that’s usually hard to recommend under those circumstances.

If you have a speeding ticket and need some insight on what to do next, get a free consultation with the Traffic Ticket Lady. She can help you understand your situation, your options, and work to protect your wallet and your time.

If you ever have any questions about DMV fees, traffic tickets, or a suspended license, I’d be happy to speak with you. You can always shoot me a quick text at 504-233-8529 or visit my website trafficticketlady.com.