Have you received a revocation, suspension, or warning letter from the Motor Vehicle Administration? Getting an official letter from the Maryland MVA is often alarming, since they mention periods of suspension or revocation of your driving privileges. The letter will be very specific about your situation, so you should read the letter carefully, take it seriously, and consult immediately with an attorney. Read on to learn more about how to respond to these letters from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.
What Instructions Will I Receive?
No matter what type of letter you receive, all of them will state very clearly and precisely how long you have to respond. If you ignore these time restrictions, which are typically 10 to 15 days from the initial mailing of the letter to you, then whatever consequence you were facing will remain and you will waive your right to ask for a lesser punishment. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that you read this letter carefully so that you give yourself the most time possible to effectively deal with the situation.
Will Getting A Letter From The Maryland MVA Affect My License?
One letter you might receive will order you to complete a Driver Improvement Course. Drivers frequently receive this notice if they have between 5 and 7 points on their driving record during any 2-year period of time. If so, you must complete this program quickly. Failure to do so will result in a suspension of your driving privileges until you do complete the course. If you are caught driving during this type of suspension, you can receive a ticket punishable by up to a year in jail and an additional 12 points on your driving record.
Another letter you might receive will say that the MVA wants to suspend or revoke your privileges. Drivers with at least 8-12 respective points on their license commonly receive this notice. There are other reasons for these notices, but points accumulation is the most common. You are entitled to an MVA hearing to argue that your license should not be suspended or revoked. The letter you receive will give you a very short period of time to reply. Usually it is only 10 to 15 days. Do not ignore this time limit. If you wait too long to do anything about it, you will lose your right to a hearing and have to face the consequences.
If you feel like you need some legal help, contact our Traffic Law attorney to schedule a free case evaluation today.
FREE CASE EVALUATIONAre DWI Cases Different?
There is one more instance in which you will need to consider having an MVA hearing. The MVA doles out consequences for all Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) cases, which vary depending on the type of alcohol or drug intoxication charge received. In these cases, the MVA will not wait for your case to go to trial before placing sanctions on your license. You should request an MVA hearing within 10 days of the date that you received the ticket.
Here are some of the sanctions that you could be facing from the MVA in this situation:
- If you have an alcohol concentration of at least .08 but less than .15 your driving privilege can be suspended for 6 months for a first offense and 1 year for a subsequent offense.
- If you have an alcohol concentration of .15 or more, then your driving privilege can be suspended for 6 months for a first offense and 1 year for a subsequent offense.
- If you refuse to submit to an alcohol concentration test, you could have your driving privilege suspended for 9 months for a first offense and two years for a subsequent offense.
If your license is suspended or revoked, you cannot drive. If you are not permitted to drive and you drive for any reason, you will face serious consequences. It does not matter if you could lose your job or run into other trouble without your license. So don’t let a notice from the MVA go by without taking it very seriously.
Contact Us
Here at Zirkin and Schmerling Law, we have helped many clients avoid license suspensions and revocations after getting a letter from the Maryland MVA. Take the time to contact Zirkin and Schmerling Law, and we’ll help you to understand your legal rights and the consequences for the traffic tickets you have received. You work hard every day, and you deserve an attorney who will work hard for you. Call us today for your free consultation at 410-753-4611.