Baltimore Driving on a Suspended License Lawyer

Baltimore Crimianl Defense Lawyers

You may or not know it, but your driver’s license or privilege to drive in Maryland or another state may be suspended, canceled, refused, or revoked.  If you are stopped by a police officer in Maryland and your license in Maryland or another state of suspended, revoked, or canceled, you could be facing arrest and charges that can carry up to 1 year in jail.

Driving with a suspended license in Maryland is considered a serious offense and is a “must appear offense in Maryland.  Must appear means you have to appear in Court.  It is not a ticket that you can pay by mail or at the Courthouse.  You must appear for your trial date before the Judge. This is the case even if you take care of the underlying issues surrounding why your license was suspended in the first place.

Do You Need an Attorney for Driving on Suspended License in Baltimore?

Yes, you should hire a lawyer for all traffic citations in Maryland, in particular, any violation of Maryland Transportation Article 16-303.  Contact a driving on suspended Maryland license attorneys with the Law Offices of G. Randolph Rice, Jr., LLC, at (410) 431-0911.

Can You Get the Suspension Lifted Prior to Your Appearance Date?

As soon after you are stopped and ticketed for driving with a suspended license in Maryland, you want to resolve the underlying issue that caused the suspension. There are numerous reasons your license may be suspended in Maryland or another State.

If you failed to pay a ticket, go to the closest District Court in Maryland and pay the outstanding ticket(s).

If you failed to pay child support, make sure you pay any outstanding child support payments as soon as possible.

What are the Different Sections of the Maryland Transportation Article 16-303?

There are 7 sections to TA 16-303:

16-303(a) – Driving on a Refused License
16-303(b) – Driving on a Canceled License
16-303(c) – Driving on a Suspended License Generally
16-303(d) – Driving on a Revoked License
16-303(e) – Driving on a License canceled by other states
16-303(f) – Driving on a License suspended by other states
16-303(g) – Driving on a License revoked by other states
16-303(h) – Driving on a License suspended under certain provisions of the transportation article
16-303(i) – Driving on a License suspended by other states under certain provision of the transportation article

Penalties for Driving on a Suspended License in Maryland

If you are found guilty of violating any section of TA 16-303, you could be eligible for a Probation Before Judgment (PBJ), or depending on your record or the facts of the case, you could receive a guilty finding.  If you receive a PBJ in your case, you do not receive any MVA points in Maryland.  That is beneficial because your insurance company will not find out about the conviction and more likely than not your insurance rates will not increase.

If you are found guilty:

Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (a): Maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (b): Maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (c): Maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (d): Maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (e): Maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (f): Maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (g): Maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (h): Maximum of $500 fine and 60 days incarcerated.
Maximum Penalty for violation of 16-303 (i): Maximum of $500 fine and 60 days incarcerated

Did You Receive MVA Points?

If you received a “guilty” for a driving while privilege is suspended in Maryland, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration will assess points to your driving record.

If you receive a Probation Before Judgment (PBJ) then the MVA will not assess points to your driving record.

The following list provides the points that will be assessed to your driving record if you are found guilty:

  • 16-303(c) – 12 points
  • 16-303(e) – 12 points
  • 16-303(h) – 3 points

After you are convicted of a vehicle-related law violation in Maryland, the Maryland District Court notifies the MVA of the conviction. The MVA then applies the appropriate points to your driver record. Other actions taken by the MVA in response to this notification depend upon the total number of points that you have accumulated during the two-year period prior to the violation:

  • 3 to 4 points – The MVA will send you a warning letter.
  • 5 to 7 points – The MVA will require you to enroll in a Driver Improvement Program (DIP).
  • 8 to 11 points – The MVA will send you a notice of suspension.
  • 12 or more points – The MVA will send you a notice of revocation.

There are three types of tickets a police officer may issue if you are caught driving on a suspended license in Maryland:

  1. Driving while privilege is suspended generally (16-303(c);
  2. Driving while privilege is suspended by other state (16-303(e)); and
  3. Driving while privilege is suspended under certain provisions of article (16-303(h).

If You Were Arrested for Driving on a Suspended License in Baltimore, Our Lawyers Can Help

If you’ve been charged with driving on a suspended license in Maryland, contact the Law Offices of G. Randolph Rice, Jr., LLC, at (410) 834-1350.  Our attorneys will discuss your case and possible defenses.  They have represented thousands of clients in Maryland that have been charged with driving on suspended license in Maryland.

Each case is different and we won’t know until we research your case, review the statement of charges, and speak with witnesses, police officer, and State’s Attorney.  We do look to a number of cases that have provided defenses to these types of charges, including: