214-370-8260

Driving While License Invalid (Class C, A, B)

When Results Matter Most


Driving While License Invalid (Class C, A, B)

Texas has a zero-tolerance approach to suspended driver license enforcement. Whether you are driving to work, driving to pick up a child/family member, or driving for emergency reasons, you may be arrested and jailed for driving with a suspended Texas Driver License. The judge will not make exceptions for people who committed the crime of driving with a suspended license, regardless of any perceived justification on part of the driver.

If you drive a motor vehicle while your driver’s license is suspended, revoked, denied, or cancelled, you are driving with an invalid driver’s license (DWLI). During the suspended period, if law enforcement stops you for a traffic violation, you are subject to arrest and further license suspension.

A suspended driver’s license means that you cannot drive legally during the suspension period. There are no exceptions.  Once the suspension takes effect, the suspension cannot be lifted. Texas law strictly prohibits driving with a suspended license. Going from one place to another is not easy without a valid driver’s license. Please note that you may be eligible for an Occupational Driver’s License to legally operate a motor vehicle on a public roadway.

Driving While License Invalid / Suspended Attorneys

Driving While License Suspended (DWLS) and Driving While License Invalid (DWLI) in the State of Texas can result in serious consequences. A DWLS / DWLI conviction can result in further license suspension, fines, increased insurance rates, and even jail time.

ANDERSON & ANDERSON, LLP can help you avoid the embarrassment of jail time. We can help resolve your driver license issues that prevent you from driving legally.

What Happens If You Are Caught DWLI OR DWLS?

Driving with a suspended driver’s license is not just against the law, it is deemed a crime in Texas. If law enforcement catches you operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway with a suspended license, you may be arrested. Your vehicle could be impounded, and you may find yourself in the back of a patrol car on your way to jail.

Penalties For Driving with Invalid License in Texas

DWLI or DWLS is usually a Class C Misdemeanor, but can be enhanced to a Class B Misdemeanor or a Class A Misdemeanor if you have previous convictions for the same offenses. In the State of Texas, the maximum punishment for a Class B Misdemeanor is a $2,000 fine and 180 days in jail and the maximum punishment for a Class A Misdemeanor is $4,000 fine and 1 year in jail.

Driving On a Suspended License and Probation

Driving with a suspended license while on probation can result in probation revocation and jail time.

How Does Driving While License Suspended Affect Automobile Insurance?

If your driver’s license is suspended, you have, most likely, already experienced an increase in your car insurance rates because a suspended license shows you are a higher-risk driver. In addition, if you are held responsible for a motor vehicle accident while operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, your insurance company may not cover your damages and liability. They will determine that you to not have an insurable interest due to the suspended license. In essence, the money that you pay for your monthly premiums may not provide you with actual coverage while you are driving with a suspended or invalid driver’s license.

How To Reinstate Your Suspended License

Before you are able to get your license reinstated, you need to follow these steps:

  • Serve out your suspension license period.
  • Get a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate or SR-22 from an authorized car insurance company. You must keep the SR-22 in effect for two years after your conviction.
  • Pay $100 to reinstate your license. You will also need to pay other fees owed.
  • Contact ANDERSON & ANDERSON, LLP to see if you are eligible for an Occupational Driver License so you can legally get back on the road as quickly as possible.

Driver’s License Suspension Cases Can Be Challenging

Not all attorneys know how to correctly defend Driving While License Suspended / Invalid cases. You need a competent and experienced traffic ticket lawyer on your side.

In Texas, DPS suspends, cancels, or revokes one’s driving privileges for many reasons with varying suspension lengths.

Subsequent driver license suspensions can also lead to more serious offenses with enhanced penalties (Class B Misdemeanors and Class A Misdemeanors). Public transportation is not widely available or convenient in Texas, so many drivers with suspended or invalid driver’s licenses feel pressured to continue driving to get to and from work or to take their children to school.

The experienced lawyers at ANDERSON & ANDERSON, LLP can get you back on the road as quickly and cost effectively as possible, so that you are on the right side of the law.

Contact a Dallas Driving While License Suspended Attorney Now

With an experienced attorney representing your legal interest, you can have a positive result.

ANDERSON & ANDERSON, LLP is an experienced Dallas traffic ticket defense law firm specializing in DWLS and DWLI cases. We address cases in both the Justice of the Peace Courts and Municipal Courts in Collin County, Dallas County, Denton County, Ellis County, Johnson County, Kaufman County, and Tarrant County. Our legal team will present a vigorous defense and work for the best possible outcome. Please contact us at 214-370-8260 for a complimentary consultation.

GET IN TOUCH

    By submitting this form I acknowledge that contacting Anderson & Anderson, LLP through this website does not create an attorney-client relationship, and any information I send is not protected by attorney-client privilege.

    If you have a traffic ticket, you may be tempted to simply pay it. Please note that in the State of Texas, simply paying a ticket is an admission of guilt. The Court will report the offense to DPS as a conviction on your driving record. This may result in increased automobile insurance premiums or possible license suspension depending on the circumstances. Below are some of the common questions about Texas traffic ticket violations.

    Yes. The Court must give the Department of Public Safety all conviction records which involve operating a motor vehicle in the State. So, most traffic violations will appear on your record, and points will be assessed.

    All traffic citations have an Appearance Date. All Courts have different time frames in which to timely respond to an alleged offense. If you miss the appearance date, a warrant may be issued for your arrest. In addition, you may also receive a subsequent offense – a Failure to Appear or a Violate Promise to Appear. Contact our law firm. ANDERSON & ANDERSON, LLP can help.

    No. It would seem that simply paying the fine is the right thing to do; however, in the State of Texas this will result in a conviction. Contact ANDERSON & ANDERSON, LLP for advice on how to proceed.

    In the interest of keeping track of driver behavior, the DPS Driver Responsibility Program assesses points for each moving violation – two points for any in-state and our-of-state conviction and three points for a conviction resulting in a crash. The points remain on your driving record for three years from the date of the conviction.  When a certain number of points are accumulated, the driver will face a driver license suspension.

    Not all traffic violations lead to points.  If you receive a ticket for travelling 10 mph or less over the posted speed limit or a seat belt violation, you will not incur any points.