We Fight Tickets for Driving With a Suspended License In Alberta
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Not All Suspended Driving Charges Are the Same
The Traffic Safety Act treats driving while suspended as two separate offences, and which one applies depends on why your licence was suspended.
Driving While Unauthorized
Traffic Safety Act, s.94
Fine up to $2,000 · 6-month disqualification
This is the charge where your licence was suspended or cancelled under the Traffic Safety Act, you were already disqualified from driving, or your licence from another province was suspended. A first offence carries a fine of no more than $2,000. Imprisonment applies only if that fine goes unpaid.
Driving While Suspended Under a Roadside Sanction
Traffic Safety Act, s.94.1
Fine of at least $5,000 · 6-month disqualification
This is the charge where the suspension came from an immediate roadside sanction — the impaired driving provisions at sections 88 through 88.1. There is no maximum here, only a floor. A first offence starts at $5,000, and the penalties escalate sharply on a second.
Either way, the six-month disqualification is added to whatever is left of your original suspension. They run one after the other, not at the same time. There is also no option to simply pay a ticket for driving with a suspended license in Alberta. Unlike most tickets, driving while suspended carries no set fine you can settle by mail — the amount is decided in court, which means there is a mandatory court date.
Why Do Licenses Get Suspended?
Drivers’ licenses in Alberta can be suspended for a variety of reasons, but here are some of the most common:
Liquor-Related Offenses
Drivers with a blood alcohol content of 0.05 to 0.079 can have their licenses suspended immediately under section 88.03 of the Traffic Safety Act.
Too Many Demerit Points
Drivers who accumulate too many demerit points on their licenses will have them suspended immediately under the Traffic Safety Act.
Administrative Suspensions
Your license may be suspended for things like driving while suspended in another province or failing to fulfill special licensing conditions. These will be detailed in your Notice of Suspension.
Frequently Asked Questions about Suspended License Tickets
What Happens to My Vehicle If I’m Caught Driving Suspended?
If you are caught behind the wheel while your license is suspended, your vehicle will be seized and impounded for at least 30 days—regardless of whether you own it or not. The owner of the vehicle will also be responsible for all towing and impound fees.
How Can I Get My License Back Once It’s Been Suspended?
When you receive a Notice of Suspension, you’ll also receive conditions for the reinstatement of your license. When you prove that you’ve met these conditions, you will be able to receive a new license.
We Defend can deal with an Alberta registry agent on your behalf to prove that you’ve successfully met the conditions to have your license reinstated.
Will My Suspension Be Increased for Driving While Suspended?
A conviction carries a six-month disqualification, and it is added to whatever remains of your existing suspension rather than running alongside it. That is set out at section 98 of the Traffic Safety Act.
Will My Vehicle Be Seized?
Yes. When someone is charged under section 94 or 94.1 of the Traffic Safety Act, the officer is required to seize or immobilize the vehicle. It runs 30 days from the day of the charge, or 60 days if there was another charge and seizure within the previous three years.
You can often get your seizure reviewed. Section 35 of the Traffic Safety Act lets a driver ask the Registrar to review a seizure, and the Registrar can confirm, cancel or vary it. It does not apply to seizures arising from an immediate roadside sanction. Send us your paperwork and we’ll tell you which applies.
Could I Go to Jail for Driving with a Suspended License?
On a first offence under section 94, imprisonment arises only if the fine goes unpaid. It becomes a sentence in its own right on a second offence within a year, and the penalties under section 94.1 escalate faster than that.
What If I Get In An Accident While Driving Suspended?
Getting caught behind the wheel with a suspended license is bad enough—but you can face even steeper consequences if you’re involved in an accident. Remember: your insurance only covers you if you’re driving with a valid license. So you’ll likely be responsible for paying any damages you cause to other persons or property while driving without insurance by yourself.
In these situations, it’s even more important to make sure you have qualified experts fighting on your behalf in court.
Why Choose We Defend?
Because this charge can’t be settled by mail. There’s a court date whether you fight it or not, and two separate matters running at once — the charge itself, and the vehicle seizure with its own review process and its own timeline.
We handle both, and we appear so you don’t have to. That means no time off work and no waiting through a docket to say a few sentences. Our team includes a former justice of the peace and a former police officer — people who have sat on the other side of these files and know how they’re assessed before anyone gets to a courtroom
Send Us Your Ticket
Every Alberta ticket carries a response deadline printed on it. Send us a photograph of every page—including the back and any court date—and we'll review it for free.