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A closer look at driver suspensions and revocations

On Behalf of | Nov 2, 2021 | Criminal Law |

The reasons for driver suspensions and revocations contain a lot of possible infractions. A suspension often refers to automatic enforcement actions dictated by court convictions, while revocations often refer to temporary enforcement actions awaiting a compliance action.

A closer look at these issues reveals some of the complexity of managing millions of drivers in the state of Texas.

A glance at some common revocations

The Texas Department of Public Safety lists no less than thirteen categories of driver’s license revocations. In many cases, the driver will get his or her license back upon completing a required activity or paying a required fee. For example, a person declared incapable of driving due to a medical condition will get a license back upon receiving official medical clearance.

Some revocations do not involve driving safety issues. Failure to pay child support can result in license revocation. The remedy involves a petition to the AG’s office or the courts to reinstate the license, either because of child support payment or some other reason.

A look at suspensions

License suspensions cover a much larger territory than revocations. A large category deals with Administrative License Revocations for a party refusing to provide a specimen of blood or breath when suspected of driving under the influence. The penalties vary depending upon the age of the person and if the arrest is for a first offense.

Several suspensions fall into the mandatory category, meaning that conviction automatically results in suspension for a set amount of time. Incidents that trigger mandatory suspensions include racing a motor vehicle, a DWI, failure to stop and render aid and driving while license invalid. Many other suspension categories exist under Texas law.