License Reinstatement Fees and Other Common License Suspension Issues
Do you have a laundry list of suspensions and unpaid tickets that you have neglected to take care of over the past 5, 10 or even 20 years due to more pressing issues going on in your life? Are you now ready to take care of your license and get it back to valid but don’t know where to start? Hiring an attorney who is experienced in traffic issues can help explain the possible hurdles in your unique situation, and set up a roadmap for getting you back to valid.
Unpaid Traffic Tickets Suspensions
The situation that we see the most is people with several unpaid traffic tickets from all over the state. More often than not, the tickets are years old and already have default judgment convictions entered. If you have multiple tickets in the same county, an attorney may be able to help negotiate with the prosecutor’s office to bring the ticket costs down, if possible. Unpaid ticket suspensions can only be handled by either paying off the ticket, or filing a petition to set aside the judgment and re-litigate the case if the ticket was issued within the past year. Additionally, if you just pay off an old ticket, the points relating to the ticket and any suspension that may go along with the ticket may become effective once the ticket is paid. Therefore, before you just start paying off tickets, it is advisable to contact an attorney who can help guide you through the process and warn you if a particular ticket carries an additional unseen penalty.
Excessive Points Violations
Points assessed for any violation or traffic ticket stick on your record for 24 months. The time period that matters is the disposition date of the violation, so the date the conviction is entered or ticket paid. Once a person obtains 20 points in the 24 month period, the BMV will start to administratively suspend a person’s license. Below are the possible penalties:
| Number of points in last two years | Penalty |
| 14 to 18 points | Warning notice sent to driver from BMV |
| 20 points | One month license suspension |
| 22 points | Two month license suspension |
| 24 points | Three month license suspension |
| 26 points | Four month license suspension |
| 28 points | Five month license suspension |
| 30 points | Six month license suspension |
| 32 points | Seven month license suspension |
| 34 points | Eight month license suspension |
| 36 points | Nine month license suspension |
| 38 points | Ten month license suspension |
| 40 points | Eleven month license suspension |
| 42 Points | Twelve month license suspension |
Additionally, the BMV may request a person to submit to an administrative hearing if, during any 12 month period, a person has committed three moving traffic offenses. Alright so what do these points mean and what points do you get for what violation? See below for some of the most common traffic violations:
| 1 – 15 mph over the speed limit | 2 points |
| 16-25 mph over the speed limit | 4 points |
| 26+ mph over the speed limit | 6 points |
| Driving while suspended | 8 points |
| Unsafe lane movement | 4 points |
| Disregarding a stop/yield sign | 6 points |
| Failure to use headlights | 2 points |
| No brake or signal lights | 2 points |
So are you coming dangerously close to getting suspended administratively for excessive points? The best way to drop points quickly is to enroll in the BMV’s driver safety program. The course is usually an online class that can be done in a matter of hours. Completing the course will remove 4 points from your driving record. The course can only be taken every three years, however.
Waiving BMV License Reinstatement Fees
So you have finally gotten all of your unpaid tickets paid and handled any other issues you might have had, probably shelling out hundreds if not thousands over to the BMV, only to find out the BMV is still asking for even more money in reinstatement fees. Paying reinstatement fees is usually the last thing that must be done to get valid, but often the most costly. Thankfully, courts are often understanding of the many hurdles that you have jumped through and with the right petition and argument, it may be possible the court may waive all of your reinstatement fees. This is why it is essential to have an experienced attorney in your corner to help save you potentially thousands of dollars.
Finally, if you have a suspension for being a habitual traffic violator or another long-term suspension that can’t get resolved by simply paying a fine, you may want to look into getting a specialized driving privilege (formerly known as a hardship license) to allow you to get back on the road. For more information, click here.
The Indianapolis Attorneys at Banks & Brower, LLC can help you navigate your driver’s license issues and are available 24/7/365 for your questions. Give us a call at (317) 870-0019.