My license has been suspended

[keithy_19]

The speeding ticket I received in the summer on the garden state parkway, has earned me a suspended license. The ticket, which was never checked off for a court date, came back to my residence along with the check to pay for it. When I inquired about why, they said I had to go to court. They, the Woodbridge Court House, told me they would send me the information about when the court date would be.

They sent nothing to me. And just yesterday I was pleasantly surprised with a notice from the deparment of motor vehicle that my license had been suspended for not attending my summons.

I didn't get any notice of when the court date was, no legal notice whatsoever. Fuck, the ticket didn't even say I had to go to court. What the fuck.

[Justice4all]

Wow Keith that sucks man.

So you got the ticket and they never checked off the court date?
That absolutely sucks.

By the way...you can only get your license un-suspended by going to one of four DMVs in NJ. Wayne. Eatontown, Trenton or Deptford....

BUT there is a way around having to do this.
Go to the DMV website...you can pay for the 100.00 restoration fee online using a credit card. (Make sure the ticket is taken care of beforehand) and then they will mail you the letter of restoration. (after the payment is processed of course)

Good luck buddy

[PapaBear]

That does suck. Keep one more thing in mind... If NJ is the same as VA, do NOT drive until you get this fixed. In VA, if you get pulled over and you have a suspended license, you go to jail. No ifs, and or buts. I'm not saying you do real time. But they will take you directly to jail, and you will have to get yourself released. It's not a very entertaining way to spend at least several hours of your day.

[Justice4all]

That does suck. Keep one more thing in mind... If NJ is the same as VA, do NOT drive until you get this fixed. In VA, if you get pulled over and you have a suspended license, you go to jail. No ifs, and or buts. I'm not saying you do real time. But they will take you directly to jail, and you will have to get yourself released. It's not a very entertaining way to spend at least several hours of your day.

P.B. it IS the same in NJ as in VA. Ready for the kicker?
Back in 2001 it cost 500.00 bail for being arrested for driving with a suspended license.

The fine for a DWI? 250.00
Yea lawmakers have a real grasp on the important shit.

[TooLowBrow]

go to the dmv for a hardship license? so you can go to work and back?

[keithy_19]

That does suck. Keep one more thing in mind... If NJ is the same as VA, do NOT drive until you get this fixed. In VA, if you get pulled over and you have a suspended license, you go to jail. No ifs, and or buts. I'm not saying you do real time. But they will take you directly to jail, and you will have to get yourself released. It's not a very entertaining way to spend at least several hours of your day.

Up to five years. That's what the notice said.

It also menioned the restoration fee in the letter. I just wish there was a way to fuck the township over for not providing me with any information regarding the court date, and also fuck over the trooper who almost caused me to slam my car into the divider and didn't mark that I had to go to court.

[jauble]

Do you have a reciept from the ticket? It should have all the info on it so that if it was not filled out correctly you can get this taken care of quick and easy. Also check with whoever was to send you the summonds to make sure it was not screwed up there either.

[topless_mike]

also fuck over the trooper who almost caused me to slam my car into the divider and

easy homeboy. he's just doing his job, and you gave him a reason to do his job.

[donnie_darko]

easy homeboy. he's just doing his job, and you gave him a reason to do his job.

his job is to almost cause someone to slam into the divider?!?!??!!?

really?

[Tallman388]

go to the dmv for a hardship license? so you can go to work and back?

Jersey won't do hardship licenses. I had my license suspended in 1999 in Jersey and they basically told me "too bad you got your license suspended, we offer many ways to get you to work that don't involve you driving." Hopefully it's changed since then, but I doubt it.

[Earlshog]

why would he need a hardship license? From what he said it was suspended for not paying a ticket. It was not suspended for having to many points.

If you pay your tickets and the restoration fee isn't your license no longer suspended?

[grlNIN]

You are NOT arrested if found driving with a suspended license. They DO however either tow your car or(if theyre nice) allow you to drive it to a near by parking lot and get someone else to drive it home for you.

I was pulled over last winter not knowing my license was suspended. I had my friend drive my car home, paid the restoration fee ($100) online that night and was able to drive by the next day. When i went to court they bumped it down to "driving without documentation" because i had never received any notice of it being under suspension.

I also paid $135 of a surcharge fee but i am still awaiting a check back for that money because i was never supposed to pay into it.

[bigredd]

That sucks. I'm just about to be off a year's probation. Apparently the Arkansas State Police have a problem with someone doing 95 in a 55. They like to call it "reckless driving". Get with your driver control or whoever mandates driver's licenses there and I bet you can work out AT LEAST some kind of temporary driving permit. Good luck.

[Jujubees2]

That sucks. I'm just about to be off a year's probation. Apparently the Arkansas State Police have a problem with someone doing 95 in a 55. They like to call it <b><i>"redneck driving"</b></i>. Get with your driver control or whoever mandates driver's licenses there and I bet you can work out AT LEAST some kind of temporary driving permit. Good luck.

Fixed it for ya'

[Thebazile78]

go to the dmv for a hardship license? so you can go to work and back?

In NJ, there's no such thing as a "hardship license."

Once it's suspended, you're SOL until you get it restored.

Here's the info from the MVC website:

What to Do If Your License is Suspended (http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/suspension.htm)
How to Get Your License Restored (http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/suspension_restoring.htm)

Also, from page 129 of the NJ Drivers' Manual: (http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/Licenses/Driver%20Manual/Chapter_7.pdf)

New Jersey does not allow conditional or special work licenses. If a motorist loses
his/her license for any reason, driving is not permitted for any reason until the
period of suspension ends and the motorist receives a notice of restoration.

[KC2OSO]

Sounds like it can be fixed with a few calls etc. Good luck Kiethy. I'd heed the advice not to drive until you can get a letter or fax from the good olde MVC/DMV stating that your license has been reinstated.

Larger rhetorical question, were does all the money go for all these fines and fees from DUI's, speeding tickets, etc. I'd bet it's a lot of money annually.

[hunnerbun]

I don't know what its like in the states but up here in Canada if the cop that writes out the ticket fucks up, you can usually fight the fine on those grounds and get it thrown out. If there was no date written on the ticket then that seems to me like a mistake and you should be able to fight it somehow.

[CaptClown]

See if you can get a court date. I got a suspension thrown out in Maryland. I had to drown the prosecutor with my paperwork to get them to see it my way, but I won in the end.

[keithy_19]

his job is to almost cause someone to slam into the divider?!?!??!!?

really?

I have no problem with getting a ticket, but the cop did almost slam into the passenger side of my car, causing me to swing the wheel to the left and almost going head on into the divider.

Then the cop proceeded to call me stupid, and that good stuff. I have two witnesses who were int he car with me who can vouche for me that the cop was recklessly pursuing me.

[grlNIN]

I have two witnesses who were int he car with me who can vouche for me that the cop was recklessly pursuing me.

He must have been a real douche.

[keithy_19]

He must have been a real douche.

A used douche.

[Sarge]

Kieth, based on what D.M.V. said they suspended your D.L. for, I would contact the Woodbridge Municipal Court and see if you have a warrant for Failure to Appear. If you do, try to make an arrangement with the court, or post the bail as soon as possible. If you have a warrant Woodbridge may send it to your home town, which will serve it and expect bail, usually $500 to $1000.

[keithy_19]

Kieth, based on what D.M.V. said they suspended your D.L. for, I would contact the Woodbridge Municipal Court and see if you have a warrant for Failure to Appear. If you do, try to make an arrangement with the court, or post the bail as soon as possible. If you have a warrant Woodbridge may send it to your home town, which will serve it and expect bail, usually $500 to $1000.

How could they arrest me for failure to appear in court when I was never informed I had to go to court? This is such shit.

[Sarge]

How could they arrest me for failure to appear in court when I was never informed I had to go to court? This is such shit.

Unfortunately, you got screwed. In the court's eyes you failed to appear to answer the summons. I don't know if they sent the notices to a wrong address, or never sent them at all, either way you did not appear in court. For them to order a suspension you probably missed 2 or 3 court dates that you did not know about.

[keithy_19]

Unfortunately, you got screwed. In the court's eyes you failed to appear to answer the summons. I don't know if they sent the notices to a wrong address, or never sent them at all, either way you did not appear in court. For them to order a suspension you probably missed 2 or 3 court dates that you did not know about.

How can I get out of this? It's not my fault the cop and the courts fucked up.

[Sarge]

Contact the court, and ask for your new court date also make sure they have the right address for you. They should recall the warrant, if you have one, when the date is assigned. Do not assume this, ask them if they could recall it. If you can get proof that the warrant was recalled from the court, you should be able to go to D.M.V. and show it to them and get your license restored until you take care of the original ticket in court.

[fezident]

I've been dealing with a suspended license for quite a while. I'm talkin' yeears.

I'll spare you the long story but, I'll say this.... if I had known then what I know NOW, I would've gladly paid 10x the amount in dispute.
On a bad day... not having a valid license is enough to make me suicidal. It can take an hour to go 6 miles away.
On a good day, it's just a good ol' fashioned nightmare.

Living in Manhattan is conducive (sp?) to not having a valid license but, when I want/have to leave, it's a disaster. I really wish I had a time machine just so I could go back, pay the initial fines and the failure-to-report fees.
I have all the paperwork and documentation in the world to support my claims but, it just doesn't matter. The system doesn't care if you're "right".
Win some, lose some.

Please learn from my lesson.
Pay whatever fine they assess. Miss a day of work if you have to. GET FIRED if you have to. Borrow a few hundred bucks if you have to. Just pay it and move forward. Please.

[keithy_19]

I've been dealing with a suspended license for quite a while. I'm talkin' yeears.

I'll spare you the long story but, I'll say this.... if I had known then what I know NOW, I would've gladly paid 10x the amount in dispute.
On a bad day... not having a valid license is enough to make me suicidal. It can take an hour to go 6 miles away.
On a good day, it's just a good ol' fashioned nightmare.

Living in Manhattan is conducive (sp?) to not having a valid license but, when I want/have to leave, it's a disaster. I really wish I had a time machine just so I could go back, pay the initial fines and the failure-to-report fees.
I have all the paperwork and documentation in the world to support my claims but, it just doesn't matter. The system doesn't care if you're "right".
Win some, lose some.

Please learn from my lesson.
Pay whatever fine they assess. Miss a day of work if you have to. GET FIRED if you have to. Borrow a few hundred bucks if you have to. Just pay it and move forward. Please.

What if I don't? Just saying.

[TooLowBrow]

What if I don't? Just saying.
compound interest for unpaid bills?

i might have unpaid parking tickets that went from 90ish to 300ish just because i didnt pay them

[keithy_19]

compound interest for unpaid bills?

i might have unpaid parking tickets that went from 90ish to 300ish just because i didnt pay them

It just infuriates me that I'm being penalized for a court date that I was NEVER informed of.

[Justice4all]

What if I don't? Just saying.
Keith, your license is the most valid form of ID in this country you have.
I had a suspended license when mine also expired. It took me almost 8 months to get a new/updated one.

With no updated license you can't: Open a bank account, Rent a car, enter a club/bar (the bouncer will ask for the new ID and if you do not have it...odds are you will be bounced from the line), buy a plane ticket; ect. ect.

Long story short....you NEED a DL. Not only for driving purposes but also for ID purposes (unless you have a passport...and who the hell wants to carry THAT around as your main form of ID?)

[PapaBear]

Suck it up. Pay what you need to pay (and like I said before, DON'T drive until you have your license restored). Once you have it all cleared up, then you can go about trying to recoup your financial/dignity losses.

[Jujubees2]

compound interest for unpaid bills?

i might have unpaid parking tickets that went from 90ish to 300ish just because i didnt pay them

I worked in the Parking Services Office at George Mason University in 1993-94 and one day the state came in and said that we had to attempt to settle all outstanding parking tickets, dating back to the early 1980s. So we had to send out letters to people telling them that they owed for tickets that were over ten years old! Man did we get a lot of angry phone calls.

[keithy_19]

I will pay for it. It just pisses me off so much that I have to pay for shit that I was never informed of. The whole reason my license was suspended wa sbecause I didn't appear in court. I'd take responsibility if I intentionally missed the summons. But I was never informed of the court date at all. It upsets me to know that I am forced to pay mroe than I should have because I didn't receive anything regarding any of this.

[OGC]

It just infuriates me that I'm being penalized for a court date that I was NEVER informed of.

Yeah, it sucks, but things like this, you really need to stay on top of. When you didn't get the court date notice, you should have contacted them. You just can't expect it to go away.

[keithy_19]

Yeah, it sucks, but things like this, you really need to stay on top of. When you didn't get the court date notice, you should have contacted them. You just can't expect it to go away.

It was never marked on the ticket though. How can I stay on top of something that I never knew I had to do? Now, because they fucked up, I have to suffer the consequences? I know I was speeding and I deserved the ticket. But I just don't think that I should have to pay more ebcause I was never told of any of this.

I know I have to though. It's crooked bullshit law.

[OGC]

It was never marked on the ticket though. How can I stay on top of something that I never knew I had to do? Now, because they fucked up, I have to suffer the consequences? I know I was speeding and I deserved the ticket. But I just don't think that I should have to pay more ebcause I was never told of any of this.

I know I have to though. It's crooked bullshit law.

Well when the ticket came back to your house along with the check you sent, you said they told you that you had to go to court and they would send you a date. When a letter from them didn't show up in a week or so, you should have contacted the court, putting yourself on record as asking for the paperwork with your court date.

Sure they fucked up, but like I said before, since it is your license and your record on the line, you need to be diligent and follow up.

If the license suspension came less that a week after the returned check, then thats a different story.

[fezident]

Dude. I feel your pain. Belieeeve me.

You have no idea how much I was in your position right now. I would give my right nut to be back to the beginning of my driving license nightmare. Part of me wants to pay your ticket for you just so I can spare another man from dealing with the hell that I'm dealing with. But the little kid in me likes the sugary frosted side.

Seriously man. There are times in life when you can do nothing but take it up the tailpipe. This is one of those times. Ya got f'cked over. It's their fault.
You COULD make a stand. You COULD try to fight it. And in a few months, you'll have a total mastery of the mass transit system.
Or you could pay the fines. Get a receipt and be glad that you're not 36 years old and walking in the rain today. And every other day.

[keithy_19]

Dude. I feel your pain. Belieeeve me.

You have no idea how much I was in your position right now. I would give my right nut to be back to the beginning of my driving license nightmare. Part of me wants to pay your ticket for you just so I can spare another man from dealing with the hell that I'm dealing with. But the little kid in me likes the sugary frosted side.

Seriously man. There are times in life when you can do nothing but take it up the tailpipe. This is one of those times. Ya got f'cked over. It's their fault.
You COULD make a stand. You COULD try to fight it. And in a few months, you'll have a total mastery of the mass transit system.
Or you could pay the fines. Get a receipt and be glad that you're not 36 years old and walking in the rain today. And every other day.

Yeah. I know I can't really do anything. I will take it. It just sucks. It's all happening at a shitty time for not having much money on me. But I'll deal with it.

Though riding a bike for a little may be a nice change of things.

[scottinnj]

How can I get out of this? It's not my fault the cop and the courts fucked up.

Man up and drive the car. Fuck NJ. What are the chances you'll get pulled over again? (Use your cruise control!)

[keithy_19]

Man up and drive the car. Fuck NJ. What are the chances you'll get pulled over again? (Use your cruise control!)

I don't think my beat up '95 mazda protoge has crusie control. And I would,e xcept my parent sknow about the suspended license.

[PapaBear]

Man up and drive the car. Fuck NJ. What are the chances you'll get pulled over again? (Use your cruise control!)

I don't think my beat up '95 mazda protoge has crusie control. And I would,e xcept my parent sknow about the suspended license.
Don't risk it anyway. Back in '93, I was driving around on a suspended license. I thought nothing of it, since I didn't do anything that would get me pulled over. Well... There had been a situation at my job that brought the cops in, and all the people working there had their SSN's given to the investigating police.

One of the cops ran all of the SSN's and saw that I had a suspended license. He waited until a night when he knew I was closing the shop. He sat in the parking lot and watched me drop off the night deposit. Once I had dropped it off, he pulled me over and took me to jail. Good thing he didn't see the half ounce of pot in the glove box.