My Louisiana driver’s license might be suspended but I’m not sure

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 if you think your license is suspended.

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.

If you think your license is suspended but you are not sure, your first step is to contact the DMV, which can be quite the process. 

I always tell people if you want to talk to somebody in the DMV and not wait all day you need to call at 7:59am on the dot. The phone lines open at 8:00 and if you call right then and there, you can usually get somebody on the phone within ten minutes. If you don’t call at that time it’s going to take you a very, very long time to speak with someone. Same thing if you go to the DMV in person. Be prepared to have a little bit of a wait. 

Another thing you can do to check the system is if you go to the Louisiana’s DMV or OMB, as it actually is called. They have an express lane where they have a drivers services inquiry. It’s kind of an unofficial driving report of things that could have you suspended. It’s not perfect- just because it says you have no issues it doesn’t mean there isn’t potentially something that has you flagged, but it is pretty good indicator. The type of things it would show is if you have a traffic ticket that has you suspended, insurance cancellations, a child support tax, and other things that would list you. 

The one thing you must look out for, particularly when it comes to traffic tickets, is whether or not you need to go to court and get some information. 

If you need to make a payment, check the ticket to see what it says. If you have a ticket where you’ve already provided the information needed by the DMV, or say the flag has been satisfied, but you owe a fee, pay the fee and it will remove the flag.

If it says that you need to provide a new court date or proof of a pay receipt, then that means that some paperwork needs to be provided to the DMV. It could be that the tickets finished and you just need to go to court and get a copy of that and take to the DMV. 

It could be that it’s still open and you need to figure out how to get a new court date. Or maybe you need to get the court to issue you a reinstatement letter that you can take through the DMV so that you can clear the flags. 

So, that’s just a little insight about things you can look at if you’re trying to figure out if your license is suspended. Maybe it’s midnight and you’re concerned about your status from a ticket- that’s some place you can go check. They do shutdown interestingly enough at like 4:00 AM or so, so it’s not available 24 hours a day, but it is fairly readily available to provide you some information. Remember, if you ever need to call the DMV, call at 7:59am on the dot. It’s the best time, otherwise you’re gonna have a rough day. 

If you have a speeding ticket and need some insight on what to do next, text me and 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.