Your driver’s license may be something that you have held dear for many years. Most people in Florida look forward to getting their license as a teenager, and, over the years, it can become something individuals rely on, on a daily basis. As a result, if you lose your license, you could face a number of setbacks.
Unfortunately, the suspension or revocation of your driver’s license could come about for various reasons. Specifically, drunk driving can quickly lead to consequences pertaining to your license and ability to drive. As a result, you may want to ensure that you know the difference between license suspension and revocation.
Which is worse?
In the grand scheme, having a revoked license is a more severe consequence than having a suspended license. They have similar effects because they prevent you from driving, but if a court revokes your driver’s license, it means the court fully canceled it. As a result, you cannot simply have it reinstated after a certain period of time. If you do want to regain a driver’s license, you would need to request approval for a new license from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
If you owe any civil penalties, you would need to pay those first. If the DMV does allow your request, you would have to go through the entire licensing process again, just like when you were a teen. You may not think that this seems like a difficult process, but remember, the DMV can choose to deny your request for a new license.
What about suspension?
If the court suspends your license, you could face one of two scenarios: definite suspension or indefinite suspension. Definite suspension means that the term of your license suspension has a set amount of time, and after that time period ends, you can pay any required suspension termination fees and reobtain your license.
If you have an indefinite suspension, it means that your license is under suspension until you carry out a certain action. For example, if you have an outstanding traffic ticket, your license could remain suspended until you pay that ticket. If you continue to drive on a suspended license, the court could revoke it.
What can you do?
The best-case scenario would be to avoid driver’s license suspension or revocation altogether. Of course, if you have already been charged with DUI, you may think that is not an option. However, you may be able to create and present a criminal defense against the allegation that helps you work toward the best possible outcome.