Annapolis License Suspension Lawyer

Having your driver’s license suspended can profoundly restrict your freedom and everyday mobility and can come with penalties that will place hardships on you and those close to you. A dedicated license suspension attorney in Annapolis will be able to assist you if you are facing charges of a license suspension by presenting the case to the court and minimizing the penalties incurred.

Causes of License Suspension

A driver facing suspension of their license should consider contacting an experienced Annapolis license suspension attorney. Commonly people will face license suspension by doing the following:

Failing to appear at a scheduled court date. The license will be suspended when an individual misses a court date.
Violating a license restriction.
Refusing to submit to an alcohol breath test.
Being charged with a DUI conviction.
Failing to pay court-ordered fines or ignoring a court order to pay a ticket fine. The MVA will suspend the driver’s license until the fine is paid in full.
Falling behind on child support obligations. The Child Support Enforcement Administration can instruct the MVA to suspend the individual’s license after they fall behind on payments for 60 days or more.
Accumulating too many points on their driving record.
Being found medically unfit to drive by the medical advisory board.

Suspension Due to Failure to Pay Fines

If an individual requests a court date and, upon completion of the hearing, the driver fails to pay court costs or fines, or ignores the court’s order to pay a ticket fine, the MVA will be notified. Upon such notification, the MVA will suspend the individual’s license until the costs or fines are paid in full.

An individual can challenge this suspension by requesting a hearing at the Office of Administrative Hearing (OAH). There is a $150 filing fee when requesting an administrative hearing. Once the individual has requested a hearing, they will receive a notice in the mail of the hearing location, date, and time. Following the hearing, the OAH will notify the MVA of the result. If an individual’s license is suspended at the hearing and is not surrendered to the administrative law judge, they must return their driver’s license to an MVA office. If the individual is not satisfied with the administrative law judge’s decision, they must file an appeal within 30 days of the hearing date.

DUI Suspension

If an individual is found to be driving under the influence of alcohol, their license will be taken away upon arrest. They will then be issued a temporary driver’s license. This temporary license is a piece of paper that will allow him or her to continue driving for 45 days.

Upon receiving a temporary driver’s license, an individual can request an administrative hearing. If such a hearing is requested, the MVA will send the individual a notice of the hearing, as well as a temporary license that remains valid until the hearing date.

An individual must be found not guilty of driving or attempting to drive while under the influence of alcohol before they are able to get their license back. If, however, the MVA is not able to provide reasonable ground to establish that the individual was driving under the influence, the administrative law judge will take no action against his or her driving privileges. The individual’s license will be given back, pending the results of his or her DUI case in one of the Anne Arundel District Courts.

Challenging a License Suspension

Once an individual receives a driver’s license suspension notice from the MVA, they can choose to surrender their license by mailing it or delivering it in person to the nearest MVA. If they elect to do so, they must surrender their license by the suspension date listed on the notice.

However, an individual who receives such a notice may also choose to challenge their license suspension. In order to challenge the suspension, they must request an administrative hearing at the Office of Administrative Hearings.

If an individual’s license is suspended due to accumulated points, they must request a hearing within 15 days. If an individual’s license is suspended due to a violation, they must request a hearing before their suspension date. If an individual’s license is suspended for alcohol-related reasons, including refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test, they must request a hearing within 30 days of receiving the suspension notice.

How an Attorney Can Help

If you request an administrative hearing regarding your license suspension, the Office of Administrative Hearings will notify your attorney of the location, date, and time of the hearing. At this hearing, an experienced Annapolis license suspension lawyer plays an essential role. They will appear on your behalf and present arguments against the MVA’s license suspension. They may also request the administrative judge modify the suspension for you to obtain a restrictive license.

The defenses against license suspension are nuanced. An Annapolis license suspension attorney who has experience with not only the law, but the local jurisdiction, can often be the difference between a suspended license and full driving privileges.