When you are convicted of certain traffic offenses or accumulate too many points, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspends your driver’s license. You may be able to apply for a restricted license, allowing you to drive under limited conditions.
Your driver’s license is your lifeline in many ways. Work with an Elizabeth City limited driving privilege lawyer at Parks Zeigler, PLLC when you apply. Our traffic attorneys are here to help.
How Limited Driving Privilege Works
Limited driving privilege allows you to drive for specified reasons even though your license is suspended. You must keep the limited driving privilege order in your vehicle with you. If you violate the order, it could be revoked, and you will be unable to legally drive at all.
A limited driving privilege is intended to allow you to continue to engage in activities essential to maintaining your security and your family’s well-being. You could ask for a restricted license that allows you to drive to and from:
- School
- Emergency medical care
- Work, and during work if necessary
- Court-ordered community service
- Court-ordered treatment for drug or alcohol addiction
If you have a family and are the only driver in your household, a court may allow you to drive to complete certain tasks necessary to maintain the household, such as grocery shopping or church.
Permission for limited driving privileges is issued on a case-by-case basis. An Elizabeth City attorney can help you make a persuasive argument for a limited driving privilege.
You Must Meet Eligibility Requirements
North Carolina General Statutes § 20-179.3 allows a limited driving privilege when you meet certain conditions. You can only apply for a restricted license if you had a valid license at the time your license was suspended. If you had an expired license when you were convicted, you may still apply if it expired less than one year ago.
You must have proof of insurance to get a limited driving privilege. The judge or hearing officer will want to see a DL-123 form from your insurance company. If you do not have insurance, the court will not issue the privilege and the it will not be valid if you allow your insurance to lapse.
Your attorney in Elizabeth City can explain the specific requirements for a limited driving privilege in your circumstances.
Procedures to Obtain Limited Privileges
When your license suspension is due to an accumulation of points, an Elizabeth City attorney would help you determine whether a DMV hearing was necessary or request a driving privilege in court if that was the best course of action.
If you pled guilty and only later realized the conviction would lead to license suspension, you can still get a limited driving privilege in some cases. A local legal professional can prepare a petition for limited driving privileges.
When your license was suspended due to a DWI, you must petition the court for a limited driving privilege. At a minimum, after a DWI conviction, the court requires that the applicant obtain a substance abuse assessment, proof of insurance (DL-123 form), and sometimes a letter from the applicant’s employer. There is also a $100 fee to petition for a limited driving privilege when the suspension results from a DWI conviction.
Work With an Elizabeth City Attorney to Obtain a Limited Right to Drive
A driver’s license suspension can disrupt your education, endanger your job, and even put your family’s well-being at risk. The law offers an opportunity to avoid the harshest consequences of license suspension if you meet certain conditions.
Talk to an Elizabeth City limited driving privilege lawyer at Parks Zeigler, PLLC about your situation. We will do all we can to get you back on the road. Reach out today to get started.
