The rules on whether you can drive with a suspended license in Alberta couldn’t be clearer: It’s illegal, and if you get caught driving with a suspended license, you risk further suspension, vehicle seizure, and large fines and most importantly a further suspension and a possibility of jail time.
As a rule, driving when your license is suspended is not worth it. However, if you do choose to drive on a suspended license and are issued a ticket, We Defend can help you fight it.
Drivers can take action instead of finding alternate ways of getting to work, school, or medical appointments. We Defend has been helping drivers across Alberta fight suspended licenses and, in doing so, save money and prevent inconvenient black marks on their driving records.
Why Do Driver’s Licenses Get Suspended?
There are several reasons why a driver’s license might get suspended in Alberta, but regardless of the reason, it’s still smart not to drive with a suspended license.
- Impaired driving: The Alberta Safety Act has extensive rules and regulations for impaired driving, and section 88.03 states that drivers with a blood alcohol content of 0.05 can have their licenses suspended immediately. A first-time offender can have their license suspended for 90 days and a further 12-month driver’s license suspension.
- Demerit points: A demerit point suspension isn’t the result of one offence, generally. Instead, if you accumulate 15 points in a two-year period or 8 demerits on the GDL program, your license will be suspended for one month. If you receive a second demerit point suspension, it could then be a 90 day suspension.
- Administrative suspensions: Failing to meet certain licensing conditions, driving while your license is suspended in another province, or failing to pay traffic tickets can all result in suspended driver’s licenses.
Remember that after a suspension ends, drivers still need to apply for reinstatement at an Alberta Registry Office.
What Can Happen If You Drive While Your License Is Suspended?
There are significant consequences for anyone who is caught driving with a suspended license, and they include everything from losing access to your vehicle to expensive tickets, increases in insurance premiums, and vehicle seizures.
Let’s take a look at a couple of the reasons why driving with a suspended license is a bad idea:
Fines & Longer Suspension
Fines for driving with a suspended license can be prohibitively expensive, often around $2,000.
And if you’re caught driving with a suspended license, your suspension will most likely be increased by an additional six months. That’s on top of whatever is left on your original suspension, they don’t run concurrently.
Vehicle Impoundment
If you’re caught driving without a license, the vehicle you were driving will automatically be impounded for 30 days. It doesn’t matter if you own the vehicle or not, but the owner of the vehicle will be responsible for the expensive towing and impound fees.
Insurance Goes Up
Your insurance only covers you when you’re driving with a valid license, so if you happen to get in a crash while driving with a suspended license, you’ll be responsible for covering any damage to other people or property. But the costs go beyond that. If you are caught driving with a suspended license, your insurance rates will rise substantially.
Incarceration
Fines are one thing, but driving with a suspended license can also, in some cases, result in jail time. In Alberta, certain cases can result in up to six months in jail.
What to Do If Your License Is Suspended
While it’s never smart to drive with a suspended license, that doesn’t mean that drivers just need to accept that they won’t be able to use their vehicle for the allotted time. Fighting a suspended license with We Defend can save money, both in terms of the fines drivers have to pay and avoiding expensive increases in insurance rates, as well as helping beat the charges or getting them reduced.
If your license is suspended, here’s what to do:
- Review the ticket: There are different courses of action to take depending on why your license has been suspended. Demerit suspensions cannot be appealed, for example, but drivers can request a review of the demerit points to ensure they weren’t assigned in error. Ensuring you understand the charges is critical for impaired driving and administrative suspensions before proceeding.
- Seek help with your defence: Fighting a suspended license can be complicated, but the team at We Defend has decades of experience helping Albertan drivers fight tickets, suspensions, and charges.
- Appeal the suspension: There are strict deadlines for when you can appeal your license suspension, so it’s important to inform the court quickly.
- Prepare your defence: Review the details of your suspension by looking for anything to help reduce or dismiss your suspension.
- Attend court: On the day of your hearing, arrive dressed formally and professionally.
- Verdict: The judge will deliver their verdict after reviewing the facts presented by both the defence and prosecution.
How We Defend Can Help Fight a Suspended License Ticket
Driving with a suspended license is a very bad idea, but We Defend has over 80 years of combined experience from a former police officer, a former Justice of the Peace, and two expert traffic ticket defenders.
Our in-depth familiarity with the process helps drivers get back on the road, avoid black marks on their driving records, and save money by avoiding increases in insurance rates and costly fines.
Fight Your Suspended License Ticket & Win!
Our team at We Defend has been working for over two decades to ensure that Alberta’s drivers get the best possible outcomes when they fight against traffic tickets of any kind, including suspended licenses.
At We Defend, we believe that you have the right to fight a ticket and will help dispute your suspended license to have the charges dismissed. For more information or to book a consultation, contact us today.