Every driver convicted of a DWI in New Jersey faces a mandatory driver’s license suspension, ranging from 3 months to 10 years. There is no temporary driver’s license for school or work during your DWI suspension. The judges will read the penalties for driving while suspended for DWI in open court, and then have the person sign a form in court that lists the penalties. In New Jersey, you cannot drive after a DWI conviction until your license is restored and you pay your restoration fee. Even if the suspension period is over, you cannot just start driving again. You must appear at the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission to officially restore your driving privileges.
What are the Penalties for Driving While Suspended in New Jersey?
Driving while your license is suspended in New Jersey is serious enough. You face a $500 fine and up to 6 months additional suspension for a first offense. A second driving while suspended conviction carries a fine up to $750, up to 6 months additional suspension, and up to 5 days in the County Jail. A third offense can result in a fine up to $1,000, up to 6 months additional license suspension, 9 insurance points on your license, and 10 days in the County Jail.
Driving While Suspended for DWI Enhanced Penalties in New Jersey
A person arrested for driving while suspended for a DWI faces enhanced mandatory penalties. A first offense carries a mandatory $500 fine, and an additional 1 – 2 years loss of your driving privileges – and 10 to 90 days in the County Jail.
But wait, it can get even worse…
If you are arrested under either of these scenarios, you can be charged with a fourth-degree indictable criminal offense …
- If you are arrested for a second driving while suspension for your first DWI conviction, OR
- If you are arrested for a driving while suspended for a second or subsequent DWI conviction
- Instead of appearing in municipal court for your driving-while-suspended ticket, you will be required to appear in New Jersey Superior Court to face an indictable criminal offense
- Instead of facing county jail, you can face 18 months in New Jersey State Prison and a $10,000 fine for a fourth-degree offense
- Worst of all, you would face having a criminal record for an indictable conviction – just for driving while suspended
How Much Does an Attorney Cost for Driving While Suspended Cases in NJ?
Do not sell yourself short by thinking, “I cannot afford an NJ defense lawyer.” The price you pay for a driving while suspended conviction exceeds the cost of hiring an NJ defense attorney. The cost for an experienced attorney is far less than the fines, penalties, surcharges, insurance costs and collateral expenses for the suspension of driving privileges from driving while suspended conviction.
The value of a qualified NJ defense attorney far outweighs the costs associated with a conviction. Please contact me immediately for a strategy session so I can review your case and see if we can obtain a dismissal of your NJ driving-while-suspended charges, or achieve a downgrade to a reduced license suspension, fines, penalties, and surcharges.
Do not trust your case to any attorney. Just like you would not want a brain surgeon to operate on your heart, you do not want an attorney who does not specialize in NJ driving while suspended cases to represent you in Court. I am a board-certified criminal trial attorney by the NJ Supreme Court and provide aggressive and professional legal services. Please contact me now by email, by phoning 908.264.7701, or by completing the form to the right to schedule your complimentary 30-minute strategy session.
