The 10 Most Common Ways to Get a Suspended License in Florida
Whether you missed a court date or committed vehicular manslaughter, driving with a suspended license in Florida could land you in jail.
Written by R.E. Fulton
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Your license can be suspended or revoked in Florida for a variety of offenses, ranging from failure to pay court fees to child support delinquency, vehicular manslaughter, and DUI violations. Driving with a suspended Florida license is a serious offense that carries further suspensions, steep fines, and possible imprisonment. I'll also make it much harder to find
cheap car insurance in Florida.
It’s easy to take driving privileges for granted, but it’s easier than you might think to have your license suspended or even revoked. If you’re not sure about the difference, or if you’re not familiar with the rules for license suspensions in your state, it’s important to check the law.
Luckily,
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has waded through the legal swamps of Florida’s license suspension regulations for you—and we’ve created this guide to the most common reasons for a suspended Florida license. To learn more, and to access next-level car insurance
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What’s the difference between a license suspension and revocation?
You might hear the words “suspension” and “revocation” used almost interchangeably when referring to losing driving privileges—but they actually have different meanings! Here’s what each term means:
- A license suspension refers to a temporary loss of driving privileges for a specified period of time
- A license revocation refers to a more serious loss of driving privileges, often requiring the driver to reapply for licensing
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) can suspend or revoke driver’s licenses for a variety of reasons, ranging from failure to pay administrative fees to serious crimes like vehicular manslaughter.
What can your license be suspended for in Florida?
The FLHSMV can suspend your license for a wide range of offenses. Keep your eye out for the following violations to avoid losing your driving privileges—even temporarily!
1. If you fail to pay a fine
Florida issues fines for most traffic citations, such as speeding tickets. If you don’t pay your ticket (or dispute it following the correct procedures) by the deadline listed on your ticket, your license can be suspended indefinitely.
2. If you fail to appear for a traffic summons
Your license could also be suspended indefinitely if you fail to appear in traffic court. Keep careful track of any summons dates and make sure that you’re able to make the appointment.
3. If you fail to complete driver improvement school
In Florida, you can be ordered by a court to complete a
Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course
following certain traffic violations. If you fail to complete a court-ordered BDI school, you could have your license indefinitely suspended. 4. If you don’t pay your court fees
Most traffic tickets and criminal charges include court fees and administrative costs on top of the base fine. If you’ve been ordered to pay any court financial obligation and you fail to pay, it could lead to an indefinite suspension.
5. If you collect too many violation points
The FLHSMV assigns violation points to most traffic offenses. Racking up 12 points in 12 months will earn you a 30-day suspension. If you earn 18 points in 18 months, your license will be suspended for three months, and it could be suspended for an entire year if you collect 24 points in 36 months.
6. If you don’t pay child support
Your child support payments might not seem like they’re connected to your driver’s license, but they could be! The
Department of Revenue
can order a license suspension for child support delinquency, so be sure to keep up with payments if you want to continue driving uninterrupted. 7. If you commit a violation that causes death or serious injury
Any non-DUI-related traffic citation that causes death or serious bodily injury to another driver or passenger can result in a license suspension up to one year. Driving carefully and following Florida’s traffic laws can prevent this serious suspension.
8. If you don’t pay your out-of-state citations
It’s not just what you do inside the Sunshine State that affects your Florida driver’s license. If you fail to pay for your out-of-state citations, you can have your license suspended until you clear the citation.
9. If you have a BAC over 0.08 or refuse a breathalyzer test
If you’re
caught driving a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) over 0.08
, your license can be suspended for six months if it’s your first offense and one year if it’s not the first time. But refusing a breathalyzer or urine test can earn you an even longer suspension: up to one year for a first offense, and 18 months for repeated refusals. So remember—it’s always better to take the test and face the music.10. If you don’t maintain Florida car insurance
Florida car insurance law
requires drivers to carry minimum amounts of both property damage liability
and personal injury protection (PIP)
insurance—a $10,000 limit for both coverages. If you’re caught driving without proof of insurance, your license could be suspended for up to three years, with steadily increasing reinstatement fees for each repeated offense. How to save money on car insurance in Florida
No matter what your Florida driving record looks like, you can find the lowest available rate on car insurance by downloading the
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licensed broker
, Jerry can even help cancel your old policy and sign you up for a new one right from the app.“My old insurance company forgot a lot of important info, which caused my license to be suspended. ButJerryis easy to navigate! You can get custom quotes, receive the final quote, and cancel your old policy all in one app.” - Allie F.
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