There are different forms of license suspension and a variety of reasons why your driver’s license could be suspended. In North Carolina, driving is considered a privilege, not a right. If your license is suspended, you lose your privilege to drive a motor vehicle for the length of the suspension. For many people, this can be extremely inconvenient when getting to work or school, taking care of children or attending to daily tasks that involve travel. A Statesville driver’s license suspension lawyer can help you protect your driving privileges.
Ashley Cannon, Attorney at Law, can work fiercely to defend you. Our firm protects your constitutional rights in criminal and civil hearings. Ashley Cannon has 25 years of legal experience and worked for five years as a prosecutor. She has tried hundreds of cases and has dedicated her practice to defending and supporting people throughout Iredell County. Our firm is available to call 24/7 to help you when you need it.
There are different forms of license suspension and a variety of reasons why your driver’s license could be suspended. Your North Carolina driver’s license might be suspended for some of the following reasons:
In Iredell County, there were 332 arrests for driving under the influence in 2024, and 619 convictions in fiscal year 2024. There were 735 criminal driving while impaired cases filed in courts in the county in 2024, including 684 in district courts and 51 in superior courts.
If your license has been suspended, we could help you gain limited driving privileges and take advantage of your right to a hearing. This helps you reinstate your license as soon as that option becomes available. After three convictions, your license suspension is called permanent, but you have the option to request a hearing after three years. This hearing could allow you to reinstate it.
If you refuse to take the breath test or a blood test after being arrested for driving under the influence, or you choose to take the test and the results are over .08, there’s an immediate 30-day civil revocation. However, we can work to get you back on the road in 10 days instead of 30 by requesting an administrative hearing as soon as possible.
It’s important to hire a driver’s license suspension lawyer in Statesville, as an attorney knows the steps of a license suspension and can act quickly to request an administrative hearing if possible. If an administrative hearing for restoration isn’t possible, your attorney can review your options for securing limited driving privileges. They also help you assess the requirements of suspension so that you follow them properly.
If your suspension is based on a criminal offense, your attorney can work to defend you in criminal court, potentially ending the suspension.
You can get your license unsuspended in North Carolina by following the requirements of the suspension. A suspension is not a permanent revocation, but a set period of suspension. Once you have met the terms of the suspension, you can apply for a driver’s license to unsuspend the license. You must also pay the fees to apply. Suspensions based on a conviction for driving while impaired have additional fees.
You may be able to contest a license suspension through an administrative hearing, depending on the circumstances of the suspension. You can request to reinstate a license when it is suspended or revoked in North Carolina through the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). An attorney can help you determine if you can request this hearing. These hearings may be held at the NCDMV Headquarters located in Rocky Mount.
Law enforcement officers can see that the registered owner of a vehicle has a suspended license when they run the plates of the vehicle. The officer may conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle and arrest the driver if they are driving on a suspended license. If the registered owner of the vehicle is not the driver, the officer simply checks the license of the person driving.
The cost of restoring a revoked license in North Carolina depends on whether or not the revocation was for driving while impaired (DWI). For reinstatement 2024 onwards, there is an $83.50 restoration fee and a $50.00 service fee, totaling $133.50. If the revocation was for a DWI, you must pay both those fees, as well as a $167.75 DWI reinstatement fee. This totals to $301.25 in fees.
It’s important that you have a defense lawyer who understands the criminal and civil processes associated with license suspension and can get you back on the road as soon as possible. Reach out to us to find out how we can assist you. Our Statesville office represents individuals in both Iredell County and the encompassing areas.