Indiana License Suspension and Revocation
Having your Indiana license is a privilege, so there’s always a chance it can be taken away if you accumulate too many severe traffic violations and infractions. This is Indiana’s way of maintaining order and safety on the streets and freeways, and it is important that you understand how you can avoid having your license suspended.
What is the Difference between License Suspension and License Revocation?
When your license gets suspended, you can either wait out the suspension period, or you can work on the errors that have caused the traffic offense. In Indiana, the suspension period is a minimum of 90 days to a maximum of 2 years, depending on the traffic offense committed. The Indiana license suspension period will take effect 18 days after the notice of suspension is sent to the offender.
These are some common offenses that could get your license suspended:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Failing to complete traffic school
- Failure to appear on a traffic summons
- Failure to pay fines
- Driving without auto insurance
- Failing a vision test
- Being labeled as a habitual traffic violator
In most states, license revocation is a major and permanent offense. A revoked license means your drivers license is permanently invalidated because of severe circumstances, such as criminal charges, and you cannot legally drive. Having a revoked license will permanently show up on background checks. This can hurt your reputation as well as your ability to get a job.
In the state of Indiana, the BMV does not revoke driving licenses. Nonetheless, this does not mean that you are safe from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Suspension of licenses can still apply for every traffic offender.
What Should I Do to Get My Indiana License Reinstated?
Your course of action will depend on the traffic violation you have committed. You can either wait out the length of your suspension period, or remedy the traffic offense. For example, if your license has been suspended because you were caught driving without insurance, you will have to obtain proof that you are covered by an insurance company. Only then can your suspension be lifted by the Indiana court. Length of license suspensions are determined at an Indiana suspension hearing.
How Many Points Does it Take to Have My Indiana License Suspended?
The Indiana BMV assigns point values to traffic violations depending on their severity. However, the point values are not what they use to assign a license suspension. If a driver in Indiana commits two or more traffic offenses in a year, they will be told to attend an Indiana Driver Safety Program (DSP), where they will receive a valuable reminder about the principles of safe driving. If they fail to attend, their license will be suspended.
For a complete description of the point system, see the Indiana BMV list of point values.
