How to Reinstate Your Driver’s License

Most traffic violations come with fines and the addition of points on a person’s driving record. However, in Texas, motorists who are convicted of multiple traffic violations face more serious penalties, including the suspension of their driver’s license. While it is possible to have a license reinstated, doing so can be complicated, so if your own driver’s license was suspended for committing a traffic violation, it is important to speak with an experienced traffic violations lawyer in Houston, Galveston or League City who can evaluate your case and advise you accordingly. 

Traffic Offenses that Can Lead to the Suspension of Your License

Under Texas law, a person’s driver’s license can be suspended if he or she is convicted of committing:

• • Four or more moving violations in a year; or
  • Seven or more moving violations in a two year period. 

Drivers who have been convicted of at least two offenses that involve a violation of a restriction printed on their driver’s license will also face a driver’s license suspension, as will individuals who are convicted of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or driving without insurance. 

Contesting the Suspension of Your License

Drivers who receive a notice of suspension can contest that decision, as long as they submit a request for a hearing within 20 days of receipt. It’s always a good idea to request these hearings, as they provide drivers with their only opportunity to convince a judge to put the suspension on hold during a probationary period, during which time the driver cannot be convicted of any further traffic offenses or cause any accidents. Fortunately, even if the court decides to uphold the suspension, a driver has the right to appeal that decision. 

Reinstating Your License

If a driver’s contesting of a driver’s license suspension is unsuccessful, he or she will need to wait until the period of suspension has ended in order to seek reinstatement of that license. How long this takes depends on a number of factors, including whether the suspension was the result of a moving violation, as these offenses are usually accompanied by a suspension of 30, 60, or 90 days. Drivers who are convicted of driving under the influence, on the other hand, will have their licenses suspended for two years. 

Once a suspension period has ended, motorists can request that their licenses be reinstated, but only if they pay all necessary fees and prove that they are eligible for a license. The documents needed to confirm eligibility will depend partly on the reason for the suspension. If, for instance, a person’s license was suspended for not carrying car insurance, he or she will probably need to submit a financial responsibility insurance certificate as a condition of reinstatement. 

Was Your Driver’s License Suspended Because of a Traffic Violation?

For help reinstating your own license after a suspension or to learn more about how to avoid a suspension entirely, please reach out to the experienced Houston traffic violations lawyers at The Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates by calling (281) 280-0100 today.