Santa Rosa Driving with a Suspended License Lawyer

Driving with a Suspended License Attorney in Santa Rosa, CA

If you are stopped while driving with a license that is suspended or revoked, this is a criminal offense. You need a strategic Santa Rosa driving with a suspended license lawyer to help you navigate this case. Your attorney could mitigate the consequences of the charges you face.

At the Law Office of Jonathan Steele, we have 78 collective years of experience in criminal defense cases. We are proud to represent our community. We know how to navigate these cases with the County of Sonoma Criminal Court. When you need aggressive legal defense and compassionate understanding, you need to hire a driving with a suspended license lawyer from our firm.

Why Might Your License Be Revoked?

Your license might have been suspended or revoked for offenses like:

• Conviction of driving under the influence (DUI) or reckless driving
• Negligent operation of a vehicle due to accruing too many points on your license
• Driving without the required car insurance
• Failing to appear in court for a traffic ticket

Other issues can lead to the suspension or revocation of your driver’s license.

Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License

It is illegal for someone to drive on a suspended or revoked license. It is also dangerous. Unlicensed drivers and drivers with suspended and revoked licenses were disproportionately involved in fatal crashes in California, according to a decades-long study.

You can be convicted of the misdemeanor offense if the following is proven by the prosecution:

1. Your license was either suspended or revoked at the time you were operating a vehicle.
2. You knew your license was suspended or revoked.

It is presumed that you had knowledge if notice was mailed to you and not undeliverable.

This is the basic statute of driving on a suspended or revoked license, but there are additional statutes that may apply. These statutes specifically address the penalties for the offense if your license was revoked for specific offenses, like reckless driving or a DUI.

What Are the Penalties for Driving on a Suspended License in Santa Rosa?

If you are convicted of driving on a suspended license for any reason, the basic penalties can be:

• Up to six months in county jail
• A fine of between $300 and $1,000
• Both a fine and imprisonment

If this happens within five years of a conviction for driving on a suspended license for specific offenses, then penalties increase to:

• Between five days and one year in county jail
• Between $500 and $2,000 in fines

If your license was suspended or revoked because of offenses like reckless driving or negligent operation, then the penalties for driving on a suspended license include:

• Between five days and six months in county jail
• A fine of between $300 and $1,000

When your license is suspended for a DUI conviction, and you drive on that suspended license, the penalties include:

• Between 10 days and six months in county jail
• A fine between $300 and $1,000

Even if the court grants probation for a first offense, there is still a minimum requirement of 10 days in county jail. There are additional penalties if you are designated a habitual traffic offender, including:

• A minimum of 30 days in county jail
• A fine of $1,000

Work With a Santa Rosa Driving with a Suspended License Attorney You Can Trust

Even if your license was not suspended for a criminal offense, driving on a suspended license is still a criminal offense that can harm your future. An experienced attorney at the Law Office of Jonathan Steele can help you review your options for a defense. Contact us today.