If your driver’s license is suspended or revoked, you will not legally be allowed to drive until the Minnesota Department of Public Safety reinstates your license. However, every year thousands of Minnesotans continue to drive on a suspended or revoked license. As you might imagine, this only further complicates their legal issues and their ability to have their license reinstated.
Although the terms “driving while revoked” and “driving while suspended” are sometimes used synonymously, they are two separate charges that can mean different things for your driver’s license. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at driving while suspended and driving while revoked charges in Minnesota.
Driving While Suspended/Revoked
Before we dive into the penalties, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why your license may be suspended or revoked. Typically suspensions are for an accumulation of minor traffic infractions or other criminal penalties. Revocations are generally reserved for more severe driving infractions that put other drivers at significant risk. With that in mind, here are some examples of why your license may be suspended by the state:
- Driving without insurance
- Numerous driving infractions within a short period of time
- Being convicted of reckless driving
- Causing an accident with injuries
- Having unpaid child support
- Fleeing from police
- Multiple bus stop arm violations
Additionally, here’s a look at some infractions that can result in your license being revoked:
- Driving over 100 miles per hour
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Fleeing the scene of an accident
- Committing a felony in a motor vehicle
- Multiple instances of driving while suspended
One Similarity And One Major Difference
One reason why the two charges are often used interchangeably is because both are considered misdemeanor offenses. If you are caught driving on a suspended license or driving after your license was revoked, you’ll be changed with a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $1,000. And while it is up to the presiding judge, it’s more likely that you’ll receive a harsher sentence if you are caught driving after revocation compared to driving while suspended.
However, there’s also one huge difference between the two, and it comes down to getting your license reinstated. It will cost you a lot more money to get your license back in good standing if it is revoked. If you check out this page about reinstatement fees, you’ll see that it costs $20 to get your license reinstated following a suspension (assuming you’ve met all other obligations). If your license is revoked, you’ll have to pay $680 and meet all other requirements. In other words, it’s 34 times more expensive to get your license reinstated following a revocation in Minnesota compared to a suspension.
If you are facing a suspension or revocation, it is imperative that you speak to a Minnesota traffic attorney like Avery Appelman and the team at Appelman Law Firm. They’ll be able to help you put up a strong defense, and they can even work with the prosecution to help increase your likelihood of keeping your license or avoiding the worst possible outcome. To learn more about your options, talk to a lawyer at one of our free strategy sessions. You can set one of those up by calling (952) 224-2277.
