Drivers can get revoked or suspended drivers licenses in Georgia when failing to obey state road laws and regulations. The Georgia Department of Driver Services will cancel, suspend or revoke your driving privileges, depending on the severity of the offense you have committed.

Motorists can reinstate suspended drivers licenses after the suspension or revocation period is over, by satisfying a set of requirements determined by the DDS, which varies according to the type of suspension. For more information about how to reinstate revoked drivers licenses in Georgia, continue reading the sections below.

Reinstating A Georgia Suspended License

A Georgia drivers license suspension or revocation may prevent you from legally operating a motor vehicle on public roads within the state. The Georgia DDS may suspend your driving privileges due to any of the following offenses: failure to pay child support, DUI offenses, failure to appear in court, failure to provide proof of car insurance, accumulation of demerit points, failure to pay a fee for speeding and more serious offenses.

How to Reinstate a Georgia Suspended Drivers License

A Georgia drivers license reinstatement process can be done after the revocation or suspension period passes and after drivers satisfy the imposed requirements. The Department of Driver Services has a set of established different requirements for each traffic violation. Drivers who want to reinstate suspended drivers licenses in GA need to satisfy the following:

• Drivers must complete a suspension period of 90 days before reinstating.
• Drivers must pay reinstatement fees.
• Drivers must provide a proof of SR-22 auto insurance.
• Drivers must maintain the SR-22 insurance policy for three years.

Suspension Periods in Georgia

A Georgia drivers license suspension period may vary depending on whether drivers deal with a suspension or revocation of their driving privileges. The period can also range according to the number of demerit points on your GA driving record, or the type of offense you have committed.

As an example, the suspension period for a DUI offense can range from 120 days to five years. For more information about your GA drivers license suspension or revocation period, contact the Department of Driver Services.

Georgia Point System

Revoked or suspended drivers licenses in Georgia may be issued as a result of the accumulation of demerit points on your GA driving record. The Department of Driver Services has a set of points for drivers who have failed to obey driving laws.

The number of points for a violation depends on the committed violations and traffic offenses. Below you can find an outline of violations and respective demerit points:

• Aggressive driving – 6 points.
• Reckless driving – 4 points.
• Speeding in excess of 34 mph over the limit – 6 points.
• Speeding between 24 and 33 mph over the limit – 4 points.
• Speeding between 19 and 23 mph over the limit – 3 points.
• Speeding between 15 and 18 mph over the limit – 2 points.
• Unlawful passing school bus – 6 points.
• Improper passing on hill or curve – 4 points.
• Other moving violations – 3 points.

For further details about traffic violations which may bring you demerit points and a GA drivers license suspension, contact a local DDS branch in your area.

Traffic School in Georgia

Motorists holding a revoked or suspended driving license in Georgia may reduce the number of demerit points on their driving records by attending a state-approved driver improvement course. Upon your request, the Department of Driver Services can reduce up to seven demerit points from your record, once in every five years. The only thing you need to do, is to present a certificate of completion of a six-hour defensive driving course.

Overall, drivers can avoid the addition of demerit points to their driving record by completing the six-hour driver improvement course before appearing in court. Successfully completing such a course can also reduce 20 percent of the fine for a suspended drivers license.

Types of GA Driver’s License Suspensions

The Department of Driver Services issues several types of Georgia drivers license suspensions, which vary based on the severity and the type of infraction that was committed. Note that in addition to GA driving license suspensions, the state DDS also administers drivers license revocations.

For instance, licensees who commit more serious driving offenses, such as perpetrating multiple violations within a certain time period, will be issued a revoked drivers license in GA. In such circumstances, drivers will be required to reapply for a new license to drive after the conclusion of the revocation period.

The following list provides examples of the most common causes for drivers license suspensions and revocations in GA:

• Failure to appear at court and pay a traffic ticket.
• Accumulating a high number of negative points.
• Failure to meet your child support obligations.
• Eluding a law enforcement officer in a motor vehicle.
• Driving with a suspended license in GA.

Drivers younger than 21 years of age are subject to stricter rules and regulations. For instance, young drivers will be issued a suspended drivers license in GA instead of a penalty of four negative points for aggressive driving. Note that certain suspension and revocation penalties may also be of an indefinite nature, and they will be resolved once the driver takes a certain action, such as paying a fine or resuming his or her child support payments.

The DMV in GA may also issue a driver’s license cancellation. This type of penalty is not the result of any driving offense. The department will cancel your credential if it concludes you do not yet meet the eligibility criteria for it, or you have provided incorrect information during the application process.

GA DUI Suspensions

Drivers who commit DUI violations will generally incur stricter GA driving license suspensions and revocations. When issuing revoked and suspended driving licenses for a DUI offense, the DDS will take into consideration the driver’s age, his or her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and whether or not the offender has already committed a similar violation. Note that Georgia residents who committed a DUI infraction in another state will be suspended by the GA DDS nevertheless.

According to the state Implied Consent Law, drivers are subject to a one-year driving license suspension in GA for refusing to undergo a chemical test to evaluate whether or not they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Drivers Older Than 21

Reinstating suspended drivers licenses in Georgia after committing a DUI offense is a process that varies based on the type of penalty administered by the DDS. Certain offenses, for instance, will require the completion of clinical evaluation and treatment and/or installing an ignition interlock device. Review several different types of DDS-administered penalties for DUI convictions in the following list:

• First DUI convictions within a period of five years results in a 120 days of mandatory suspension and a $210 fine. Refusal to undergo a chemical test increases the suspension period to 12 months.
• Second DUI convictions within the same five-year period result in an 18-month suspension and a fine of $210.
• Third DUI convictions result in a five-year driving license suspension and a $410 penalty fine.

To reinstate drivers licenses in GA suspended as a result of a DUI conviction, licensees will be required to complete a DUI school, regardless of the type and severity of the offense. Passing the clinical evaluation and installing the interlock device are requirements that vary based on the type of DUI infraction.

Drivers Younger Than 21

Young drivers are subject to stricter drivers license suspensions in Georgia for DUI offenses committed within and outside of the state. The severity of the punishment generally varies based on the age of the licensee and his or her BAC level.

Drivers between 16 and 20 years of age, for instance, are penalized with a six-month suspended drivers license for their first DUI violation. Young licensees driving with a BAC .08 and greater may even be subject to a 12-month suspension penalty for their first offense.

In addition to the mandatory suspension periods, young drivers will be required to pay a fine ranging between $210 to $410, depending on the severity of the offense.

Note: Teenage drivers 15 years of age or younger who commit a DUI offense will be prevented from applying for their driving license until they turn 17 or 18 years of age, depending on whether they have committed one or multiple violations.

Car Insurance Suspensions

Suspended driving licenses in Georgia also result from convictions for driving without the proper car insurance policy. Note that the DDS issues driving license suspensions in GA even if the uninsured driver was operating a vehicle belonging to another individual.

Drivers who fail to maintain the minimum liability insurance will be penalized with a 60-day suspension for their first offense. In such circumstances, the GA driving license restoration procedure can be completed by submitting proof of insurance and providing a $200 fine payment ($210 if paying in person).

Licensees who commit multiple lapse of insurance infractions face stricter GA drivers license suspension penalties. In such circumstances, motorists will be required to wait out a mandatory 90-day penalty period before initiating the suspended drivers license reinstatement process.

In addition to paying a $300 or a $310 fine, offenders will be required to submit the GA Safety Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22A or SR-22A). Drivers must maintain the SR-22 insurance policy for three consecutive years. Also, you are not able to obtain a provisional drivers license while completing a non-insurance suspension period.

Traffic Summons or Failure to Pay

The DDS administers driving license suspensions in Georgia for failure to respond to a traffic citation. Drivers will be required to resolve the traffic ticket issue with their county court prior to the effective date of their suspension period, displayed on the DDS notice.

After receiving the traffic summons, licensees can either choose to pay the penalty fee and plead guilty, or contest the issue by appearing at their court hearing. If you decide to plead guilty, you can resolve your GA suspended driving license issue by providing the penalty payment to the corresponding county court at least two weeks prior to the hearing date.

A special type of traffic violation in GA is excessive speeding. Drivers who were issued a citation for speeding faster than 85 mph on a highway are considered as Super Speeders. To resolve this type of issue, offenders will be required to pay a $200 fine. Drivers who fail to do so will have their driving privileges suspended, and they will be required to pay a $50 drivers license reinstatement fee.

Instead of paying the ticket fee in person, many municipal courts also offer an online paying alternative through their websites. Check with your county court whether or not you have the option of paying a traffic citation via the internet.

Georgia Hardship Drivers License

Drivers with suspended drivers licenses in Georgia may also be eligible for a provisional driving license, known as the DDS limited driving permit. This type of credential grants restricted driving privileges, which authorizes the licensee to travel to and from vital destinations, such as:

• Medical facilities.
• Educational institutions.
• Support organizations.
• DUI schools.
• Place of employment.

Drivers who commit a moving violation while operating their vehicle with a provisional driving license in GA are subject to stricter penalties. In such events, your driving license suspension period may be prolonged an additional six months, and your limited credential will be revoked.

Applying for a GA Hardship License

While the Georgia drivers license revocation or suspension remains in effect, drivers eligible for a limited driving permit can submit the corresponding application in person through a local DDS location. Note that, for more serious driving offenses, the department offers a special type of limited permit, which can be obtained only if the applicant installs an ignition interlock device on his or her vehicle.

In addition to the standard evidentiary documents, permit applicants may be required to submit the Authorization for Issuance of a Limited Driving Permit (Form DDS 1126) bearing a signature from their local court or a copy of the DUI conviction. After providing a $25 payment, the DDS will process your request and issue you the GA hardship license.

Note: The procedure of renewing limited driving permits is available at a fee of $5.

Drivers License Reinstatement Fees

To reinstate suspended drivers licenses in Georgia, drivers are not only required to satisfy certain requirements, but also to pay reinstatement fees. The GA Department of Driver Services offers three methods of payment for the suspended drivers license reinstatement fees: in person, by mail and online. You can find below the in-person fees you must pay:

• Failure to pay child support: $35.
• DUI offense: $210.
• Failure to appear in court: $100.
• No proof of insurance: $210 for first offense, $310 for subsequent offenses.
• Points violation: $210 for first offense, $310 for second offense, $410 for third offenses.

Note that these reinstatement fees may vary, depending on the payment method you are using, as well as on the type of offense you have committed. Drivers can get a discount on these prices if they are paying online or by mail.

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