Reasons Your License Can Be Suspended in Arizona

Reasons Your License Can Be Suspended in Arizona

In Arizona, committing certain driving offenses will cause your driver’s license to be temporarily suspended. License suspensions are temporary removals of your privilege to drive, and the suspension will only be lifted following an approved application for license reinstatement.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) assesses points against a person’s driving record for certain offenses. Anyone who accumulates at least 8 points during any 12-month time period may have their driver’s license suspended for up to one year.

A DUI, reckless driving, or aggressive driving charge is worth 8 points alone, meaning your license can be suspended immediately for committing any of these offenses. The MVD provides the following points table:

Additionally, license suspension can result from other infractions as well, such as failing to appear in court (FTA), failing to pay court-ordered fines, failing to pay court-ordered child support, and refusing chemical tests.

Penalties for Driving on a Suspended License

According to A.R.S. 28-3473, a person may not operate a motor vehicle on a public highway if the person’s privilege to drive a motor vehicle is suspended, revoked, canceled, or refused or if the person is disqualified from driving.

Driving on a suspended license is a class 1 misdemeanor, which can result in incarceration of up to six months.

However, if a person’s driving privileges have been suspended as a result of a failure to appear charge, the offender will be charged with a civil traffic violation rather than a misdemeanor. Pursuant to A.R.S. 28-3482, if the offender in this case presents evidence to the court that the person’s unrestricted privilege to drive has been reinstated, the court may dismiss the charge of driving under a suspended license.

Reinstating a Suspended License

If your license was suspended as a result of a failure to appear to failure to pay a ticket, in order to reinstate your driving privileges, you must:

• Pay all court penalties.
• Obtain an abstract form or clearance receipt from the court.
• Pay a $10 suspension fee to the MVD.
• Bring the abstract form or clearance receipt into an MVD office. Additional fees may apply.

If your driving privileges were suspended for any other reason, you must pay a $10 suspension fee and a possible application fee to reinstate your license.

You also must provide proof for payment of financial responsibility if your licese was suspended for:

• DUI
• Implied-consent suspension for refusal/failure to complete a drug/alcohol test
• Auto insurance violation

Additionally, you may be required to complete additional steps depending on the reason your license was suspended in the first place. This can include drug or alcohol screening for those charged with a DUI or Traffic Survival School.

The MVD allows for online license reinstatement. Here, you can also monitor your own driving record and check the status of your license.

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