It might surprise you to hear that thousands of drivers in New Jersey are stopped each year by police for random traffic violations only to find that their driving license has been suspended, which then results in a wide variety of penalties and substantial fines which we\’ll discuss shortly. If you take nothing else away from reading this article it should be that you always ensure that your driving license is valid in the state of New Jersey, unless you enjoy paying fines, or spending time in prison, that is.
Reasons For License Suspension
Your license might have been suspended by either a court or the DMV, usually because you failed to pay an administrative fee and/or you\’d accumulated enough points to have your license suspended. In some cases a court might suspend your license for failure to pay child support, but regardless of the cause of suspension you are now no longer permitted to operate a motor vehicle in the state of New Jersey. New Jersey statute that guides the punishment and fines for Driving while suspended is N.J.S.A. 39:3-40
Notification
For any offense to be recorded and result in penalties or fines the court must be able to prove that due process in suspending your license was followed, and that you were also given adequate notice of the removal of your driving privileges. The reality is that most people are fully aware that they\’re driving on a suspended license, but are hoping the courts, or police officers, will show them some leniency. If you license was suspended administratively the Court’s must prove that an official notice went out specifying in fact that your license privileges are now suspended.,
Scope of Suspension
License suspension applies to both people who have been licensed in New Jersey and people from other states who have had their right to drive in the state of New Jersey revoked. So even if you have a license from another state you can still receive the same penalties and fines that a New Jersey licensed driver would offer.
First Offense
If you\’re caught driving on a suspended license in the state of New Jersey you will receive a fine of no less than $500 for your first offense
Second Offense
Any driver caught on a subsequent occasion while driving on a suspended license in the state of New Jersey will receive a fine of $500, and a prison sentence of between 1 and 7-days.
Third Offense
The third time you\’re found to be driving on a suspended license in the state will result in a fine of $1,000 and at least 10-days in county jail.
Additional Offenses
On every subsequent occasion you\’re found to be driving without a license you will be fined $1,000, and the amount of time you spend in prison is at the discretion of the court.
Special Circumstance
There are also some specific circumstances where driving on a suspended license could incur additional penalties and fines as follows:
Injuring Another Person
If you injure another person while driving on a suspended license the court is legally obliged to sentence you to time in prison (for at least 45-days) – even if it\’s a first offense and this includes causing anything from a bloody nose or whiplash to another driver.
No insurance
If you originally had your license suspended for driving without insurance you will receive an additional fine of $500, your license will be suspended for an additional year and you could also face 90-days in county jail.
DWI/DUI
Any drive who had their license suspended for a DWI/DUI conviction will receive an additional fine of $500, your license suspension will be extended for an additional year and the court can sentence you to up to 90-days in prison.
Arrested Near A School
If you\’re caught driving on a suspended license near a school, of any kind, you will receive a fine of an additional $500, your license will be suspended for anywhere from an extra 1 to 2-years, and you can face anything up to 180-days in prison, in the case of a third offense, for example.
Third Parties
If you knowingly allow a person with a suspended license to drive your vehicle you can also face a penalty including fines, driving license suspension and even imprisonment
As you can see if you\’re driving on a suspended license in the state of New Jersey it can cost you far more than it\’s worth to take that risk.