License Suspension Question

[mtomlin66]

Just to let you know they can and do run plates in PA. I live outside of Philadelphia and within the last year it was reported in the newspaper that some police vehicles in the city had a new high tech camera device connected to a computer that can scan license plates as an officer drives down the street. It's being used by Traffic Court as well. I know most departments don't have this type of technology, but it is available and used. I imagine it will become more common over time.
I couldn't find the article that I was looking for, but page 5 of this document (http://www.watchyourcar.org/content/?item=4503) discusses the use of something like it in Lehigh County, PA.

 

[charabby]

About ten years ago, I go a letter saying my license had been suspended for failure to appear on a ticket. The ticket was issue in a town I had never been in. I called the DMV. The said it was a clerical mistake. They sent me a letter saying it was a mistake. They told me to carry the letter in my car for at least a year just in case I was pulled over.

OP, try calling and explain the situation again. Ask for a letter indicating that your husband's license was not suspended. Hope things work out!

This is what I was going to post. I've had a suspended license for not paying tickets on time (no $ at the time, not that it's anyone's business) and you have to carry the clearance paperwork with you to prove that the issue has been cleared. At least that's how it works in MI.

 

[Piecey]

Did not mean to be "rude and presumptious." I didn't know they linked license plates to licenses. I thought they only ran plates if there was a problem. I can't see a police man running ever plate that passes him on the off chance that he might nab a criminal or a person with a suspended license. After all, many family rotate cars among them, so how would they know (before pulling them over) that it was an unlicensed driver behind the wheel?

I never meant to imply he was a maniac. In some places, just doing 5 over will get you pulled over. If that's the case, it's probably not a bad idea to drive extra cautiously until this issue is straightened out so he doesn't get pulled over again. Don't read more into the post than was meant to be there.

Usually, around here, you know if your plates are being run based on how close the cop follows you.
They follow you REALLY closely sometimes. Then a few minutes later they'll fall back... probably after the plate report comes back.

I'm tied to my car, DH is tied to his. We're sole owners on both registrations. That said, we're insured to drive each other's vehicles on a joint insurance policy. The police don't see this though. They probably just run the plate, see whether or not my license is in a good status and go on.

I think all the need is reasonable doubt to pull you over, so if they did run the plates and got a suspended license... that was enough to pull him over, if it's not him driving the car the police officer will probably just apologize and go on.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

My DH had a somewhat similar case...he was pulled over for having a headlight out, and they gave him a ticket. He got it fixed and taken care of within the 90 days and sent the paper work off. We thought that would be it!

Then a couple of weeks ago, he was switching insurance companies and they told him his liscence had been suspended because although he paid the ticket, he never paid the court fees - we had no idea that there were court fees! He had to pay said court fees, plus the cost to reinstate his liscence and there wasn't anything we could do about it. We tried to argue it out but they basically just said that if he wanted his liscence back, he had to pay. I'm sorry if thats not good news, but your situation sounds slightly different so I hope you have better luck than we did!

 

[npmommie]

I know mine in Ohio doesn't as I don't even have to show it to renew plates and I don't recall having it on my Michigan Reg either.

oh I was just curious, here registration is proof of insurance as the insurance company provides a stamp when you get the insurance and the registration the first time, I don't have to get the stamp every time i renew my registration it is there already.

 

[Anewman]

did not read entire thread...

The Wife had a similar situation, showed proof of insurance and court. She kept paper work showing all counts were dismissed.

Did your husband recieve any such proof when he presented the court with proof of insurance?

 

[Heidict]

I feel for you OP. I had the exact thing happen to me, all though in CT. I didn't have my license on me (forgot my purse) and was ticketed. I went to court, showed proof and the matter was dropped.

About a week later I received notice that my license had been suspended. I called the DMV and spoke to someone there. She said that it had been an error and that my license was okay.

Hope everything works out for you DH.

 

[Mom2Nick]

I am so mad right now. In August my husband got pulled over and he didn't have his insurance card in the vehicle (stupid I know, but it happens). Anyway, he went to court and they threw the ticket out when he provided proof of insurance. The court made a filing error showing he was convicted. He got a letter saying his license was going to be suspended. He went back to the court, they said they must have filed it wrong and they'd change it. He also checked with our ins company and they said the DMV said license wasn't suspended.

Fast forward to today, DH is driving with DS and it pulled over by police. The police say his license is suspended and that they can write him a ticket, throw him in jail and tow his vehicle. The police said since he had DS in the car they would just give him a warning and told him to straighten this out asap.

So what do we do. The people at the court where he got the ticket are obviously ********. I live in New York State. Has this ever happened to anyone? I don't know if I should go to my insurance agent, if I should go straight to the court again....plus, since the licesne has been suspended he was told it's a $500 re instatement fee.

How can we be responsible for this fee?? Yes a mistake was made, shame on us for not having insurance card in car, but we have NEVER had a lapse in insurance.

You had my sympathy until I got to this part.

 

[swanmom]

I was ticketed for failure to have ny driver's license with me in New York. (Unfortunately, I did have it but my wallet slid under the passenger seat after my car was rear-ended by a NY cab driver and I was too frantic to find it at the time.) I had to go to court and prove that I had a valid license. When I did, I got a receipt that the ticket was dismissed. Your husband should go directly back to the court where he originally had the ticket dismissed and get a copy of that receipt - dated the day of the original appearance. That should help him straighten out this mess and he can carry it with him in the car 'just in case.'

 

[charabby]

oh I was just curious, here registration is proof of insurance as the insurance company provides a stamp when you get the insurance and the registration the first time, I don't have to get the stamp every time i renew my registration it is there already.

And actually, in MI, there is a notation on the registration paperwork indicating weather you have insurance. It is not your insurance info, but instead is a code indicating you have insurance on file. Contrary to what the PP stated about MI (and OH, altho I don't know about that state).

 

[Fire14]

And actually, in MI, there is a notation on the registration paperwork indicating weather you have insurance. It is not your insurance info, but instead is a code indicating you have insurance on file. Contrary to what the PP stated about MI (and OH, altho I don't know about that state).

I stand corrected on MI than. I have not lived in MI for 6+ yrs and you have a new Gov and Sec of state. Who I'm sure have implemented newer and better things.

 

[Jennasis]

The people at the court where he got the ticket are obviously ********. .

A moment, please, while I attempt to recompose myself....

Thank you.

There is a HUGE lagtime in paperwork being filed and red tape blah blah blah. So it's possible that it's just taking a very long time for the correction to be made.

You offend me to the core with the above quoted statement. Be a better human and go back and edit it.

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

Sadly this does happen.
DH was in a fender bender when he was in his 20's. He and the guy that hit him both got tickets. Went to court all charges dropped. What we thought was no big deal.
Fast forward 20 something years. The court was putting all the old files into the new computer system. They enerted the case wrong. Showed he never payed fines. They also did it to the guy he was in fender bender with.
Both of they had their licenses listed as suspended.
Yes it was a mess to fix. It took a long time for us to fix it.
What we found funny about it was DH had been renewed his license so many times and no one said anything but yet his license was listed as suspended for 20 years.
Good luck. But try and stay calm. these people can make it easy or hard to work this out.

 

[Loverly]

So what do we do. The people at the court where he got the ticket are obviously ********.


I live in New York State. .

Please edit this statement-extremely politically incorrect to those who have a mentally challenged loved one (as I do)

 

[KAMLEM]

The people at the court where he got the ticket are obviously ********.

Wow, I can't even believe you would say something like this. I'll say a prayer that your baby ends up healthy so you never have to know what it's like to have a family member who is mentally challenged.

 

[kellyg403]

I haven't read through all the responses but wanted to say that I personally have had a similar experience back in the 90's but with the State of Virginia. I was traveling with my family to NC and I was driving. I was pulled over because one of my taillights was out and didn't know it. Proceeded with all the stuff only to find out that my license was coming back suspended! The policeman let me go, but my dh had to drive. We had the kids in the car, it was 12 or so at night.

To make a long and tortured story short, I had to go to the court that issued the ticket from 1989, then I had to connect with DMV because, this whole ticket was 8 years old, paid but I no longer had the receipt. DMV was showing that they had the ticket paid through my tax return in 1990, so I had actually paid the ticket twice! Didn't even notice our tax return was short 80 some dollars. It took 3 weeks to get it straightened out. I had not been stopped in all that time, but it appeared that someone in DMV had suspended my license in 1991 for failure to pay the fine. I had been driving around around on a suspended license that was not due to renew until 2000. I had to go and retake the drivers test and everything all over again to get my license back even though DMV had sent me a letter in the mail apologizing for the error, returning the second payment to me etc. It was a nightmare!

The point is, keep working the dmv and the courts until it is resolved and be prepared for it to take a few weeks. It is crappy but it can be resolved. I didn't think I would ever get it over with, when finally the letter came from DMV. The easy way for me was to repay the fine but on principal I was not going to do it.

Hopefully you will be able to get it resolved sooner! Mistakes happen even in gov't agencies.

Kelly

 

[tw1nsmom]

You have to go back to the court that made the error and have them correct it through DMV.

It sounds as though one of three things have happened.

One...that DMV was notified that you didn't have insurance and in that case you will need to provide them with proof of coverage. You will need to provide them with proof that you were covered for the entire time. If there was even a lapse of just a few days you will be fined on a per day basis and your license suspended until this is cleared. However, if this is the case, your registration for that vehicle would also be suspended.

Two...The court incorrectly filed the verdict in the case. Actually, they would have needed to both file it incorrectly and issue a judgment for a fine that your DH failed to pay. The initial ticket wouldn't have been enough to suspend his license, but if the court has him listed as a scofflaw, then his license would be suspended until the fine was paid. Either way, DMV won't correct the suspension until the court issues a correction.

Three...Talk to your DH. None of the violations are adding up to enough points to suspend a license. Are you sure there weren't other violations he isn't telling you about?

 

[Anne34]

Wow, you learn something new in the Dis everyday. Didn't know they ran plates like that. Do you all have another car he can use in the meantime so he won't get pulled over while you're trying to sort this out?

The run plates like this in Illinois all the time. Since you live so near, just thought you'd like a warning before you drove through. I have lived in Wisconsin and they always did this too. I have seen the cop in the car behind you with his laptop running the plates of the cars around him.

Also, we are another state that needs separate vehicle registration and insurance cards. Whenever I get a new insurance card (every 6 mo) I just throw it into the glove compartment so I know its there.

Good luck to you!!! Sounds like an awful mess!! I hope you're not liable to pay the $500 to restate the license since it was their fault to start with.

 

[ols386]

Don't know what to do about the license, but why is your husband getting pulled over so often? Is he speeding? Maybe until it gets sorted out he should refrain from whatever behavior is getting him pulled over in the first place.

That's a very presumptuous statement to make. You don't even know the guy.