Types of Driver’s License Tickets and Their Consequences

A No Valid Driver’s License / Driving Without a Driver’s License citation is issued when you are operating a motor vehicle on a Texas Highway, you are required to have a driver’s license and you do not have a license from either Texas or another jurisdiction. An initial violation can have a fine of up to $200. Subsequent citations can have a fine as high as $500 and up to 6 months in jail. If you cause an accident and you do not have a driver’s license or insurance, you can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. If your license was invalid or suspended when you received the citation, a conviction may result in an additional license suspension and reinstatement fees.

A Failure to Display a Texas Driver’s License citation is issued when you are operating a motor vehicle on a Texas Highway, you are required to have a driver’s license, you are asked to present a copy of your license to a peace officer, and fail to do so. Typically this citation is issued when you have a driver’s license but you do not have the actual license with you. An initial violation can have a fine of up to $200. Subsequent citations can have a fine as high as $500 and up to 6 months in jail. If you cause an accident and you do not have a driver’s license or insurance, you can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. If your license was invalid or suspended when you received the citation, a conviction may result in an additional license suspension and reinstatement fees.

A Driving While License Invalid citation (sometimes called a DWLI) is issued when you are operating a motor vehicle on a Texas Highway, you are required to have a driver’s license, and your driver’s license or driving privilege is suspended or revoked. An initial violation can have a fine of up to $200. Subsequent citations or a first citation if you did not have valid insurance at the time of the stop can have a fine as high as $500 and up to 6 months in jail. If you cause an accident and you do not have a driver’s license or insurance, you can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. If your license was invalid or suspended when you received the citation, a conviction may result in an additional license suspension and reinstatement fees.

An Expired Driver’s License citation is issued when you are operating a motor vehicle on a Texas Highway, you are required to have a driver’s license, and your driver’s license has expired. An initial violation can have a fine of up to $200. Subsequent citations can have a fine as high as $500 and up to 6 months in jail. If you cause an accident and you do not have a driver’s license or insurance, you can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. If your license was invalid or suspended when you received the citation, a conviction may result in an additional license suspension and reinstatement fees.

A Failure to Timely Report Change of Address or Name citation is issued when you have a Texas Driver’s License or a Texas Identification Card and fail to report a change of your address or name to the Texas Department of Public Safety within 30 days of the change. The fine for this violation can be as high as $200. If your license was invalid or suspended when you received the citation, a conviction may result in an additional license suspension and reinstatement fees.

A Failure to Obtain a Texas Driver’s License Within 90 Days citation is issued when you have moved to Texas and do not obtain a Texas license within 90 days. There are exceptions for members of the military and their families who are stationed here but maintain their domicile in another state and have a valid license from that state. The fine for this violation can be as high as $200. If your license was invalid or suspended when you received the citation, a conviction may result in an additional license suspension and reinstatement fees.

A Driving in Violation of Restriction or Endorsement citation is issued when you have a driver’s license but you have a restriction or a required endorsement and you are operating a vehicle in violation of the endorsement or the restriction. Examples of a driver’s license restrictions include driving with corrective lenses (Code A), licensed driver 21 years of age or older must be in the front seat (Code B), and daytime driving only (Code C). A full list of restrictions can be found here. Examples of endorsements are motorcycle endorsements (for operating a motorcycle) and CDL endorsements (for operating certain types of commercial vehicles).

Why You Should Never “Just Pay” A Drivers License Ticket

Texas requires that you have a valid driver’s license if you operate a vehicle on a Texas highway (some exceptions for operating farm equipment on certain roads apply). You have to have a Texas driver’s license if you are a resident of Texas for at least 90 days (there are some exceptions for members of the military and their families stationed in Texas). If you just pay a driver’s license citation, the court will enter a conviction that will appear on your driving record.

A conviction can cause a license suspension and, depending on the type of citation, can also result in significantly higher fines for subsequent violations. A license suspension will cause reinstatement fees. Driving with a suspended license can lead to an arrest and a class B misdemeanor depending on the circumstances.

Considering the harm that can result from a conviction, you should never “just pay” a driver’s license ticket. We can help keep this ticket from hurting your record and causing you future problems such as a license suspension, reinstatement fees, and higher fines for subsequent violations.

How a Traffic Ticket Attorney Can Help With a Driver’s License Ticket

In some cases, getting the violation remedied will help significantly. For example, if you received a citation for no valid driver’s license, driving while license invalid, or failure to timely obtain a Texas driver’s license obtaining a valid license may help get the ticket dismissed. Likewise, a violation for failure to timely report a change of address or name may get dismissed after updating your information with DPS. Dismissal may be a straight dismissal upon showing compliance, dismissal with a small administrative fee, or dismissal after a deferred disposition, often with reduced fines.

This means we can usually save you money on your ticket, and in most cases, we can handle the driver’s license ticket without you having to come to court. In some cases, we can get a deferred disposition offer even if you do not have and cannot obtain a valid license. If you were issued other tickets with a driver’s license violation, in many cases, we can get one or more of your tickets dismissed outright as part of a plea bargain.

We have helped thousands of clients with driver’s license tickets. We are here to help guide you through the process and answer any questions you have so you can make an informed decision and obtain the best results. In most cases, we can appear on your behalf, so you will not need to appear in court. Of course, if you do need to appear in court, one of our experienced traffic ticket attorneys will be with you, so you do not have to face the court alone. We will be there every step of the way.

We Can Help With Your Driver’s License Issues.

If you have never had a driver’s license, your license is invalid, or you need to obtain an occupational license, we can help. Our experienced staff has helped hundreds of clients navigate the confusing process of getting a valid license or obtaining an occupational driver’s license. If you need help with your driver’s license issues, please contact us.