Lots of different circumstances can lead to a Floridian's license to be suspended or revoked. Suspension is a temporary withdrawal of your license. Revocation means Florida terminates your privilege to drive. If you drive with a suspended or revoked license, you could face a range of criminal penalties.
Reasons for License Suspensions in Florida
Certain driving offenses, criminal convictions, and civil matters can result in license suspension or revocation.
Point-Related Suspensions
For most minor traffic violations, you might have to pay a fine but won't have to worry about losing your license. However, if you rack up too many violations, license suspension is possible.
Florida uses a traffic violation point system and will suspend the license of drivers who accumulate too many points. Drivers who get 12 or more points within 12 months, 18 or more points within 18 months, or 24 or more points in 36 months face license suspension.
Criminal Conviction Suspensions
Lots of criminal convictions can lead to license suspension or revocation. The list of offenses includes:
This is only a partial list. Lots of other offenses can result in the loss of driving privileges.
Other Types of Suspensions
Regardless of points, your license can be revoked if the State of Florida considers you a habitual offender of certain traffic laws. And, certain conduct unrelated to driving, such as failing to pay child support, can result in license suspension.
Reinstating Your License
After your period of suspension or revocation, you will need to apply for reinstatement before you may drive again. You may need to apply for a new license if your license was revoked.
The reinstatement fee for a suspended license is $45. The fee is $75 for a revoked license, plus the application fee for a new license.
If your revocation or suspension was due to DUI or refusing to submit to a test to determine whether you are intoxicated, you may be charged another $130. In some situations, such as if your suspension or revocation is due to a false or fraudulent insurance claim, you may be charged an additional $180 for reinstatement.
Charges for Driving After Suspension or Revocation
If you are charged with driving after suspension or revocation in Florida, consider hiring a lawyer to represent you. A conviction may result in fines or even a jail sentence. You may experience problems keeping employment, traveling to school, obtaining insurance, and going about your daily life. Although the law provides specific penalties for a conviction, your sentence will depend on how prosecutors and the courts view the crime. An attorney who is familiar with how these cases are handled in your area will be able to provide guidance about your individual situation.
At TicketFit, our traffic ticket lawyer has helped thousands of drivers reinstate their suspended license. And while you can certainly give us a call at (305) 775-3720 for help, you can try to reinstate yourself by following these three steps:
Step 1: Check Your Driver’s License
The first thing you want to do is confirm that your license is suspended.
Fortunately, this is easy. You can check the status of your driver’s license online by visiting the Florida Department of Motor Vehicle License Check website.
Step 2: Fix the Suspension
If your license is suspended, DO NOT DRIVE. Driving with a suspended license in Florida is a crime. It could lead to the towing of your car, confiscation of your driver’s license, and your arrest. In addition, it can result in a criminal traffic ticket.
Now there are many reasons for a suspension. These include not having insurance, points, or an outstanding traffic ticket.
RELATED: 3 Reasons for a Suspended Driver’s License in Florida
No matter the reason, you must first fix the cause of your suspension before you can reinstate your license. If you need help, contact our traffic ticket lawyer at (305) 775-3720 or email us for a free consultation.
Step 3: Reinstate Your License
After you fix the underlying issue, you are ready to reinstate. You can do so by visiting any driver’s license service centers in Florida and paying the $60 reinstatement fee. However, we do recommend you make an appointment to avoid the long lines.
Alternatively, you can call our traffic ticket attorney for faster reinstatement.
At TicketFit, we can reinstate your license within minutes, without you having to waste time at the DMV. Don’t delay, call us now at (305) 775-3720 or email us get back on the road.
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
By R.E. Fulton
Updated on Nov 24, 2022
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear, Director of Content.
- Why you might need a license reinstatement in Florida
- How to get a license reinstatement in Florida
- How to get a hardship license in Florida
- What is an SR-22 certificate?
- How to save money on car insurance in Florida
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Getting your
Florida
driver’s license reinstated could be as simple as paying an overdue fine and sending proof to your local service center—but for more serious violations, you’ll have to wait for your suspension to expire and take a driver improvement course before you get your driving privileges back.When you lose your driver’s license, getting it back is probably the first thing on your mind. In some cases, you’ll be able to pay a reinstatement fee and resume driving within a week or so. But the regulations vary depending on the severity of the offense that lost you your license in the first place—and the rules are different from state to state.
In Florida, a driver’s license reinstatement usually costs $45 or $75, but the rules can get complicated. That’s why
car insurance
comparison super appJerry
created this guide to Florida license reinstatement.Why you might need a license reinstatement in Florida
The
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)
issues license suspensions and revocations for a wide range of offenses. You could have your license suspended for failure to pay court charges, or revoked entirely for vehicular homicide.In most cases, when your Florida driver’s license is suspended, you won’t automatically regain your driving privileges when the suspension period runs out. Instead, FLHSMV requires drivers to submit paperwork and reinstatement fees in order to get back behind the wheel.
If you’re not sure whether or not you need a license reinstatement, you can check the status of your Florida driver’s license
online
.MORE:
Can you get car insurance with a suspended license?
How to get a license reinstatement in Florida
There are a number of ways to get a suspended Florida license reinstated, depending on the nature of the suspension. In most cases, you’ll need to send in some documentation along with
a reinstatement fee
of $45 or $75—and you may need to take a driver improvement course as well.Traffic citations and court suspensions
If your license was suspended for a failure to pay fines or fees, you’ll need to clear the suspension by paying the outstanding charge and sending a receipt to your local
Florida driver’s license service center
along with a $45 reinstatement fee. You can also send your payment and documents to the following address:The Bureau of Motorist Compliance
P.O. Box 5775
Tallahassee, Florida 32314-5775
Make any checks or money orders payable to the Division of Motorist Services, and allow 10 days for processing. Depending on the citation, you may also be able to clear the suspension over the phone by calling 850-617-3000.
Point suspensions
If your license was suspended for point violations, you can apply for reinstatement after the suspension period has expired. You’ll need to submit proof that you completed
an Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI) course
, along with your $45 reinstatement fee, to your local license service center or:The Bureau of Motorist Compliance
P.O. Box 5775
Tallahassee, Florida 32314-5775
Allow 10 days for processing, and be sure to include your Florida driver record number in your paperwork.
Revocations
If your driver license was revoked, you can apply for a reinstatement after the expiration of the revocation period. Follow the same procedure as for a point suspension by completing an ADI course and sending the proof to your local service center. However, the reinstatement fee for a revoked license is $75, and you may have additional fees depending on the circumstances.
Key Takeaway In most cases, you can get your license reinstated by paying the necessary fees and clearing any outstanding charges or taking an advanced driver improvement (ADI) course.
MORE:
DUI laws Florida
How to get a hardship license in Florida
Driving with a suspended or revoked license is a serious offense in Florida, but getting around without a car can be difficult. That’s why Florida allows drivers with certain suspensions to apply for hardship licenses so that they can drive to school and work or complete other essential tasks.
If your license was suspended due to nonpayment after a traffic citation, you’re not eligible for a hardship license. However, for point violations and some license revocations, you can apply for a hardship license through
your local Administrative Reviews Office
.To get your hardship license, you’ll need to submit proof of ADI completion along with an
Application for Administrative Hearing
and a $12 filing fee. You can either request an expedited review, which authorizes the Bureau of Administrative Reviews to decide your case based only on your submitted documents, or a hearing, where you’ll be able to give testimony to explain why you need a hardship license.When can you apply for a hardship license?
Depending on the nature of your violation, you may not be able to apply for a hardship license immediately. In general, here’s how long you need to wait before applying:
If your license was suspended due to a points violation, you can apply immediately
If your license was revoked due to a drug conviction, you’ll need to wait six months from the revocation date
If your license was revoked because you’re a habitual traffic offender (HTO), you must wait one year from the revocation date
MORE:
High-risk car insurance: Everything you need to know
What is an SR-22 certificate?
If your Florida license has been suspended or revoked, you may be required to file for an SR-22 or FR-44 certificate through your insurance provider. Sometimes called “SR-22 insurance,” these certificates constitute legal proof that you’ve met Florida’s minimum insurance requirements.
You might be required to purchase
a Florida SR-22 certificate
for the following offenses:Repeated tickets or a habitual traffic offender (HTO) designation
An at-fault accident without necessary insurance
Driving without insurance
Driving with a suspended or revoked license
If you’ve committed any of the following offenses, you may be required to file an FR-44 certificate:
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Causing bodily injury while driving under the influence
Any driving violation that involves controlled substances, serious bodily injury, or death
You’ll file for the certificates through your insurance company and pay a small fee. Although the filing itself is typically inexpensive, driving with an SR-22 or FR-44 certificate is guaranteed to lead to massively increased insurance premiums.
MORE:
How to fill out and file an SR-22
How to save money on car insurance in Florida
When you’ve dealt with a license suspension or an SR-22 filing, finding the best insurance rate is more important than ever. Since every insurance company will use
a slightly different methodology to calculate your premium
, it’s worth doing an exhaustive comparison of every offer on the market. But who has the time for all that research—and all that math?Jerry
does. If you’ve got a spotty Florida record, Jerry’s got your back: in just 45 seconds, the app will search for the lowest customized quotes from 50+ top companies.The best news? Even with rate hikes, you may be able to lower your insurance premium significantly with Jerry’s help. Across the board,
Jerry
users save an average of $887 a year on car insurance.“I saw an ad for
Jerry
on Instagram and decided to give it a try. I have a terrible driving record, but Nathan still helped me. Before, almost no one wanted to insure me. Now, I have a great policy and save $200/month. I’m one happy gal!” —Terri C.
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Driver Licenses
R.E. Fulton is an insurance editor and writer with 7+ years of experience in digital publishing. From museums and nonprofits to blogs and apps, they enjoy making complicated topics like medical history and car insurance fun and approachable through writing. Outside of work, R.E. bakes a lot of bread, knits a lot of socks, and takes a lot of pictures of their three cats.