Driving Under Suspension

Columbus and Delaware, Ohio Criminal Defense Attorney

If you have been charged with a criminal offense in Columbus or Delaware, Ohio, contact Johnson Legal, LLC and speak with an experienced Columbus and Delaware, Ohio criminal defense attorney. Attorney David Johnson of Johnson Legal, LLC will discuss your case and assist you in fighting the charges. Call (614) 987-0192 or send an email to schedule a consultation regarding your criminal offense case.

Driving Under Suspension in Ohio

Your license may be suspended for a variety of reasons in Ohio, including:

  • Being charged or convicted of DUI / OVI;
  • Refusing to submit to chemical testing as part of a DUI / OVI stop;
  • Convicted of any drug offense;
  • Accumulating 12 points on your license; and
  • A security suspension for failure to pay a judgment.

Pursuant to ORC 4510.11, driving while under a license suspension is a 1st degree misdemeanor. This is a serious offense in Ohio and carries a potential 6 months in jail and a $1000 fine. Moreover, the court may impose an additional license suspension of 3 months to multiple years and, if you have a prior conviction for this offense in the last 3 years, the court may require that your vehicle be immobilized or forfeited.

Note, however, that to be convicted of driving under suspension in Ohio, the BMV must have mailed you a notice of the suspension. This does not mean that you must have received it. Simply mailing the notice to you will suffice.

Defenses to Driving Under Suspension

Potential defenses to driving under suspension in Ohio include:

  • Attacking the legality of the underlying suspension;
  • Challenging the constitutionality of the traffic stop; and
  • Demonstrating that the DMV failed to mail notice of the license suspension before the traffic stop occurred

How to Check Whether Your License is Suspended

You can check to see whether your license is suspended on the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) website. Simply type in your license information and determine if your license is suspended. In addition, you can see what is required to have your driver’s license reinstated. Click the link below to check the status of your Ohio driver’s license.

Ohio BMV License Suspension Check

Criminal Defense Attorney – Columbus and Delaware, Ohio

If you have been charged with driving under suspension, you should hire an attorney immediately. Contact Attorney David Johnson of Johnson Legal, LLC and speak with an experienced Columbus and Delaware, Ohio criminal defense attorney. Attorney Johnson will examine your case and assist you in putting forth the strongest defense possible. Call Johnson Legal, LLC at (614) 987-0192 or send Attorney David Johnson an email.