Getting your driver’s license revoked or suspended can impact your job, reduce your savings, how you care for your family and lead to significant embarrassment. Since Texas considers driving a privilege not a right, it uses the loss of a driver’s license as a punishment for a variety of infractions.
What triggers the cancellation of a driver’s license in Texas, includes everything from expected moving violations to non-driving offenses, like vandalizing property.
Driver License Suspensions Related to Driving
A conviction for driving while under the influence (DWI) may be one of the most common reasons for losing a driver’s license. Any adult convicted of DWI in Texas on a first offense may be required to complete and Alcohol Education Program and a maximum two-year license suspension.
Refusing or failing to take a blood or breath test following a DWI automatically places you in the Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Program. Under ALR, which is a civil program that is not related to court proceedings, a person may have their driver license suspended from between 90 days and two years. Refusal or failure of this test will also result in an automatic one-year disqualification for individuals with a commercial driver license.
Other reasons include:
- Reckless driving
- Driving without motor vehicle coverage
- Failing to pay traffic tickets
Additionally, Texas automatically suspends the licenses of drivers who get more than four moving violations, such as speeding, over 12 months or those who get more than seven moving violations within 24 months.
License Suspensions for Other Transportation
Piloting a plane or operating a boat while under the influence of drugs and alcohol can lead you to lose your privilege to drive a motor vehicle. Suspensions may vary based on the circumstances.
License Suspensions Due to Non-Driving Offenses
Many states use driver license suspensions to deter crime. In Texas, you can lose your license if you find yourself convicted of:
- Vandalism
- Drug offenses
- Stealing gasoline
- Public intoxication
Additionally, failing to pay child support can lead to a license suspension.
If you are facing charges, contact a Dallas defense attorney as soon as possible. Benefiting from early legal representation can have a significant impact on your case. Your lawyer can guide you through all the legal procedures and ensure that your rights are protected.
When Minors Lose Their Licenses
Minors who get convicted of DWI not only receive a one-year driver’s license suspension but also face additional suspensions if they fail to complete the Alcohol Education Program. If a judge orders the person to have an interlock ignition device and community service, the minor may also get a 90-day suspension.
Other Alcohol Offenses
Minors lose their licenses upon conviction of any of these offenses:
- Buying or trying to buy alcohol
- Public drunkenness
- Possessing or consuming alcohol
- Misrepresenting their ages (using a fake ID)
For first offenses of any of these crimes, minors get 30-day license suspensions. The penalty increases to a 60-day suspension for a second offense, and it raises with a third offense to a 180-day suspension.
Other Reasons Drivers Lose Licenses
Though in most situations, the state suspends driver licenses due to convictions or other misdeeds, it also does it when a person’s mental or physical health prevents him/her from driving safely. For example, if someone suffers from seizures due to epilepsy or if a senior no longer is mentally or physically fit to drive safely, the state may revoke their licenses.
Apply for a Hardship Driver’s License
Handling your responsibilities, like going to work and picking up your children from school, is difficult when you lose your driver’s license. You may apply for an occupational driver’s license with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Occupational licenses allow people to drive only for:
- Work
- School and related-activities
- Handling vital household duties
Those who have applied during the last ten years are ineligible for occupational licenses.
Get a Free Case Review in Texas
If you lost your driver’s license in Texas, then contact us at the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg. A DWI Dallas lawyer from our office can review your case and advise you on the best way forward. We can guide you through the process ahead and will fight to get you justice.
Call our firm today at (214) 696-9253 to get a free case consultation. Reach our bilingual staff at any time of the day, any day of the week.
