If you drive without a license, or drive with a suspended license, in Oklahoma, the penalties can be harsh. You will have to pay a fine, and also possibly serve jail time. The state also will lengthen the period of the suspension of your license.
Fines
The fines for driving without a license, or driving with a suspended license, are:
$100-500, for the first conviction;
$200-$750, for the second conviction;
$300-$1,000, for the third and any subsequent convictions.
Each act, of driving without a license, or driving with a suspended license, constitutes one offense. You are guilty of a misdemeanor.
If your license was suspended for driving while under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance, or for refusing to take a blood or breath alcohol test, the fines are somewhat higher. Fines for driving with a license suspended for DUI or refusing to submit to a test are:
$500-$1,000, for the first conviction;
$1,000-$2,000, for the second conviction;
$2,000-$5,000, for the third conviction and any subsequent convictions.
Jail Time
You may also serve up to a year in jail, if you drive without a license, or with a suspended license.
Lengthening of the suspension period
For an ordinary conviction for driving with a suspended license, the state will lengthen the period of suspension by three months.
If your license was suspended for DUI, or for refusing to take a blood or breath alcohol test, and you are convicted or driving under suspension, the state will lengthen the period of suspension by four months.
If you cause an accident
If you drive without a license, or drive with a suspended license, and you cause an accident, penalties are somewhat stricter. It depends on the seriousness of the injury caused.
If you cause “personal injury” to another person, you may a fine of up to $2,000, or serve up to a year in the county jail, or both. You will be guilty of a misdemeanor.
If you cause “great bodily injury” to another person, you may pay a fine of up to $3,000, or serve up to five years in the Department of Corrections, or both. You will be guilty of a felony. “Great bodily injury” means “bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.”
If the accident kills another person, you may pay a fine of up to $5,000, or serve up to five years in the Department of Corrections, or both. You will be guilty of a felony.
For any conviction for causing an accident while driving with a suspended license, the state will lengthen the period of suspension for twelve months. This time period applies, regardless of how serious the injury.
If your license is about to be suspended
Obviously, you don’t want to be stuck in a situation where your driver’s license is suspended. If you have received a notice that the state is about to suspend your license, you can try to keep your license. Or, if your license has been suspended, there are ways of getting your license reinstated. If you would like the Persaud Law Office to assist you in preventing a suspension, or in reinstating a suspended license, please contact us today.
For more information on when Oklahoma can suspend your driver's license, read our blog post on the subject.
If your license has been suspended
Click here to see how you can get a suspended license reinstated.