Driving on a Suspended License in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, your license can be suspended or revoked for a variety of reasons, including traffic violations, criminal convictions, and matters unrelated to driving. If you get caught driving during a suspension or revocation, you'll likely face criminal charges.

Reasons for Suspension or Revocation

Lots of circumstances can lead to the loss of driving privileges. Some of the more common reasons for license revocation or suspension include:

• being convicted frequently enough of serious traffic offenses that the state believes you show a disrespect for traffic laws and a disregard for safety
• being a habitually reckless or negligent driver (as shown by New Hampshire's point system or other indicators such as accidents)
• having an impairment that makes you incompetent to drive
• fraudulently using a license
• failing to appear in court for a traffic citation or for certain criminal charges
• negligently causing an accident that killed or injured someone or resulted in serious property damage
• having three convictions in the same year for certain traffic violations
• evading tolls
• being a sex offender who fails to comply with registration requirements for more than 30 days
• being convicted of reckless driving
• being convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI)
• being convicted of vehicular homicide, and
• refusing to submit to or failing a chemical test in violation of the state's implied consent laws.

However, this list contains just some of the ways a driver's license might be suspended—there are many others.

Reinstating your License

The period of time your license is suspended or revoked may depend on the reason for the suspension or revocation and other reasons. After your period of suspension or revocation expires, you generally need to pay a reinstatement fee and might be required to fulfill other conditions before your license will be valid again. In most cases, the reinstatement fee is $50 or $100.

Charges for Driving After Suspension or Revocation

In New Hampshire, driving on a suspended or revoked license can be charged as a violation, a misdemeanor, or a felony, depending on the circumstances.

Violations

In some situations, driving on a suspended or revoked license is a violation. A violation carries minimum fines of $250 for a first offense and $500 for a second or subsequent offense (provided the driver has no violations within the past seven years). The maximum fine for a violation is $1,000.

Misdemeanors

In many circumstances—including where the original suspension was for a DWI or reckless driving or the driver has a prior offense within the past seven years—driving on a suspended or revoked license is a class B misdemeanor.

Generally, class B misdemeanors carry a maximum fine of $1,200 and no jail time. However, if the driver's suspension was related to a DWI or vehicular homicide, the offense is still a misdemeanor but carries a minimum seven days in jail, a maximum $1,000 fine, and an additional one year of revocation.

Felonies

Driving on a suspended or revoked license can also be a class B felony where the offense results in injuries or the death of another person. A class B felony carries up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of $4,000.

Legal Help for Charges of Driving After Suspension or Revocation

Driving on a suspended or revoked license can come with severe consequences. So, if you've been arrested for one of these offenses, it's a good idea to contact an attorney for help. A qualified lawyer can help you understand how the law applies in your case and what you're up against.