Driving With a Suspended License Defense Attorney in Covington, Kentucky

Nothing good comes from being pulled over when driving with a suspended license. License suspension is a common form of punishment in Kentucky. Your license may get suspended due to a number of reasons, ranging from receiving multiple DUIs and accumulating too many points on your driving record to failing to pay child support or tax debt.   

Furthermore, driving with a suspended license is a serious offense in Kentucky that could result in jail time, hefty fines, and a prolonged suspension period. If you were caught driving with a suspended license, you might want to contact a criminal defense attorney to get legal guidance.  

Our driving with a suspended license defense attorney at Ganote Law, LLC can help you build the best defense possible to avoid all or many of the consequences associated with this charge in Kentucky. With offices in Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, we serve Boone, Kenton, and Campbell Counties in Kentucky and Hamilton, Butler, and Clermont County, as well as the greater Cincinnati area. 

Kentucky Points System  

Kentucky uses a points system designed to encourage responsible and safe driving behaviors while also punishing those who violate traffic laws. When you get your driver’s license, you have zero points on your driving record. Then, points are added to your record every time you violate Kentucky’s traffic laws. For the most common traffic violations in Kentucky, drivers are assigned from three to six points, though certain violations carry more points.  

Motorists who accumulate 12 points on their driving record within a 24-month period face a possible suspension of their driver’s license. Racking up points is also associated with other problems, including increased insurance rates.  

In Kentucky, the Transportation Cabinet maintains your driver history for five years. While points are automatically removed from the driving record two years from the date of conviction, the ticket will stay on the record for five years.  

Reasons for License Suspension  

In Kentucky, there are both driving and non-driving-related reasons for license suspension. Some of the most common reasons the state’s Division of Vehicles may suspend or revoke your driver’s license include:  

• Accumulating too many points. As mentioned earlier, Kentucky uses a points system to punish drivers who violate traffic laws. Accumulating 12 points within a 24-month period can get your license suspended. The threshold is reduced to seven points for motorists under 18.  

• Drag racing or speeding. Your license can also be suspended for drag racing and speeding. Not all speeding offenses are treated equally for the purposes of license suspension. The Kentucky Division of Vehicles may suspend your license if you were driving 26 mph or more over the speed limit.  

• Attempting to elude a police officer. Motorists face an automatic license suspension for attempting to escape or elude a police officer.  

• Reckless driving. Having three convictions for reckless driving within a 12-month period can result in a revocation of your license.  

• DUI. One of the most common reasons for license suspension in Kentucky is driving under the influence. How long your license will be suspended depends on the number of DUI convictions on your record.  

• Driving without insurance. Kentucky law prohibits motorists from operating a vehicle until they obtain auto insurance. If you get caught driving without insurance in Kentucky, your license could be suspended for up to one year.  

• Refusal to submit to alcohol or drug testing. Since Kentucky is an implied consent state, drivers are legally required to take alcohol and drug tests when suspected of DUI. Refusal to submit to such testing could lead to suspension of the driver’s license.  

• Non-payment of child support. Failure to pay court-ordered child support will result in the suspension of your license if you owe at least six months’ worth of payments.  

• Non-payment of tax debt. Similarly, you could also face license suspension for failure to pay your tax debt.  

Penalties for Driving With a Suspended License  

Operating a vehicle with a suspended license is associated with penalties that vary in severity depending on whether the suspension was caused by DUI or any reason not related to DUI.  

1. Not related to DUI. Driving with a suspended license is generally considered a Class B misdemeanor if the suspension was not related to DUI. In that case, penalties include up to 90 days in jail and no more than $250 in fines. 

2. DUI-related. Penalties are more severe if you get caught driving with a suspended license if your suspension is related to a DUI.  

For DUI offenses committed within a 10-year period, penalties for driving with a suspended license include:  

• Up to $250 in fines, a maximum 90-day term in jail, and revocation of the license for six months for the first offense;  

• Up to $500 in fines, at least 90 days but no more than a year in jail, and revocation of the license for one year for the second offense; and 

• A fine in the $1,000-$10,000 range, one to five years in prison, and revocation of the license for two years.  

The penalties will be even more serious if the driver was impaired by alcohol or drugs when caught driving with a suspended license.