Estimated Time to Read: 3 minutes
The driver of any vehicle needs three things to operate a motor vehicle – insurance, driver’s license, and registration. The vehicle insurance protects other people on the road from the driver’s bad behavior; the driver’s license proves that the driver has the permission to operate a motor vehicle; and the vehicle registration proves that the vehicle isn’t stolen, and is legally allowed by the state to be operated on.
The most common mistake that drivers commit that can lead to serious driving offenses is operating their motor vehicle without any license or insurance. This can happen if the driver, who has not taken any driving test and have no permission from the state to drive, gets into a vehicle and drives off down the road. Another situation is when the driver whose driver’s license was suspended sets off with his vehicle. Driving without a license or insurance may not be as bad as committing robbery or murder, but it is still considered as a criminal offense.
What Happens If You Get Caught?
An individual, who is driving without a license or insurance, can get caught if he/she is stopped by a traffic enforcer or police officer. It starts with an innocent traffic stop. If you are stopped by a police officer, and they find out that you are missing at least one of the three documentations needed, the officer can ask you to get out of the car, and then impound your vehicle. When such event happens, you will have to pay for the tow truck, the storage for your vehicle while it stays in an impound lot, and the parking tickets that you have acquired.
After all these, you will soon get a mail with instructions regarding your court date. Driving without a license or insurance is a criminal offense with serious penalties. The main reason for the grave penalties is the danger that you have posed to other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the road. If you are caught driving without a license or insurance, you will need a qualified lawyer to provide you with legal assistance.
Penalties and Related Offenses
If you drive without a license, there are legal consequences that you need to face. For one, even if you have motor insurance with you, it may become invalid. Another point to consider is if you drive without a license and insurance, you can be charged with a different offense of driving without car insurance. You will also face different penalties if you take your car despite your license being revoked due to operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Here are some of the offenses and penalties that you might face:
Driving after license suspension
If it is your first time to be charged with this offense, you will have to spend 10 days in a correctional facility and pay a fine of $1,000. If it is your second offense, you will stay in jail for a year and pay $10,000; for a 3rd offense, you will spend two and a half years in jail with $10,000 fine. If you are caught driving with a suspended license due to an OUI offense, you will need to spend 2 months in jail with a fine of $10,000, and your license suspension will be extended.
Driving without a license
If you take your motor vehicle for a drive without being licensed by the state, you will have to face up to 10 days in a correctional facility and pay a fine of $1,000. For succeeding offenses, you will have to face one year in jail.
Driving without vehicle insurance
The penalty for driving without 10e is spending a year in a correctional facility and paying a fine of $5,000.
You have to think twice before you take your car out without any license or insurance. It is a serious offense, and it can have serious legal ramifications.
Citations:
Kris Lim is a blogger who specializes in road safety. She also offers her insights and advice for a Massachusetts OUI attorney and law firms, such as Elliot Savitz Law.
