Anybody who is designated a habitual traffic offender will have their license revoked for a period of five years. There is no way to get your regular driver’s license back without getting the habitual traffic offender status removed. If you are a habitual traffic offender and you need help getting your license reinstated, call Attorney Williams now for a free consultation.
“Habitual traffic offender” is defined under Florida Statute 322.264. A habitual traffic offender is defined as any person whose driving record, as maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, shows that such person has, within a five-year period, accumulated:
Three or more convictions for any of the following offenses:
- voluntary or involuntary manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle;
- any violation of the DU statute;
- any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used;
- driving while license suspended or revoked;
- failure to render aid in a motor vehicle crash resulting in the death or personal injury of another; or
- driving a commercial vehicle while privilege disqualified.
Hardship License
A person who lost their privilege to drive due to a revocation after a designation as a habitual traffic offender may petition the Department of Motor Vehicles for reinstatement of driving privileges in the form of a hardship license. The petitioner will have to wait a period of 12 months from the initial license revocation to petition the Department of Motor Vehicles and the hardship license can only be used for business purposes.
If you’re not eligible for a hardship license and if you’re not able to get your previous convictions overturned on your own, then you will have to wait the full five-year period to get your license back, which why it’s so important for you to speak to an attorney. If you are caught driving on a suspended license after you’ve been designated a habitual traffic offender, then you will be arrested and charged with a third degree felony, meaning you can be sentenced to up to 5 years on prison, or up to 5 years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000 can be imposed.
Life can be difficult to navigate after you’ve been designated a habitual traffic offender. It’s impossible to get around and make a living without a license, and Uber and Lyft can become too expensive to maintain. If you’ve been designated a habitual traffic offender and you need to know what steps to take to get your license back, call Attorney Williams now for a free consultation.