A New Jersey DWI Can Lead To A Driver’s License Suspension

If you live in the State of New Jersey, you’ll want to know all the ways your driver’s license can be suspended. You’ll also want to know that it’s the courts that impose the consequences to your driver’s license. Finally, you’ll want to know that just a simple moving violation can lead to points assessed on your driver’s license, which can lead to surcharges and, if those surcharges aren’t paid, can ultimately lead to your license being suspended. And if you’ve had a DWI in New Jersey, failure to pay the fines results in the loss of your license (along with a possible garnishment of wages).

Most New Jersey moving violations will put points on your driver’s record. If you rack up six or more points within three years, you’ll have to pay what’s called a surcharge, which is just an additional penalty over and above any other fines and fees you’ll have to pay. If you fail to pay the surcharges, your license can be suspended indefinitely. And if a driver accumulates 12 points on his record, the MVC can automatically suspend or revoke that driver’s license. If that happens, you’ll receive a Scheduled Suspension Notice in the mail, which will state the date your suspension is set to begin and the length of the suspension. When you receive this Notice, you can write the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) and request a hearing. A stay of your license suspension period may occur until the date of the hearing, which is generally many months after filing the appeal letter. Be sure to send the appeal letter via certified mail in order to make sure that the request for a hearing was received.

You could also lose your license with just your first New Jersey DWI. If your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is between .08 and 10%, you could lose your license for three months; however, if your BAC was .10% or above, your license could be suspended between seven months and one year. Consider the length of suspensions for a subsequent DWI: If you’re convicted of your second DWI (within ten years of your first), your license will be suspended for two year; and the third DWI within ten years of the prior DWI will suspend your license for TEN YEARS!

Once the time period of your New Jersey DWI suspension is over, you’re still not able to drive. And you won’t be able to drive before you first go to the New Jersey MVC and apply to have your license reinstated. The fee for which is $100, and then you’ll receive a written notice that your license has been restored. You cannot overlook this detail either, because if you’re caught driving with a license the authorities still deem to be suspended, you might be looking at time in jail, and an additional driver’s license suspension.