Driving Without License Virginia Driving Without License Fairfax Attorney
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The state of Virginia is very strict when it comes to driving laws. Virginia laws state very clearly that any person operating a vehicle must have a permit in their possession at the time. An individual who moves to Virginia must eventually file for a VA driver’s permit and may be issued a citation by a police officer if they fail to do so.
Operating a vehicle on Virginia roads without a permit is a criminal offense. An individual that is charged with riding without a permit the first time, is charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor and can be sentenced to prison for up to six months and fine of up to $1000. For second or more charges of driving without a license, the charge is considered a class 1 misdemeanor and the individual may be sentenced to up to 12 months in prison and fine of up to $2,500.
When an individual is charged with operating a vehicle without possession of a permit, a judge may decide to suspend the individual’s driving rights for up to 90 days.
If an individual is capable of obtaining a valid VA driver’s license before their court date, they are advised to present the license to the judge in court. If the charge is vehicle handling without a license in possession first offense, the judge will most likely dismiss the case.
There are a few exceptional situations where an individual may not be required to possess a Virginia driver’s license. These include:
- An individual driving farming equipment and vehicles.
- New Residents in the state of VA
- Military personnel driving military vehicles
- Licensed individuals visiting from another state
An individual may decide to fight the driving without a license in possession charge made against them. Hiring an attorney will be beneficial to the defendant at this point to help reduce or dismiss the charges made against them.
Examples of defense for driving without a license in possession include:
- The driver was not a resident of the state of Virginia at the time the officer pulled them over. An individual who moves to the state of Virginia is not immediately advised a resident. There is a 60-day period before a person is considered a resident of the state. This period is called the amnesty period. A defendant may argue that the arrest was made during the amnesty period and so before they were considered residents of the state of Virginia.
- The law in Virginia states that the driver must be driving on a highway to be charged with this offense. A highway is considered as any public roads where vehicles are permitted to travel. The defendant may argue that they were not on public roads when they were driving. Parking lots, apartment complex roads and townhouse communities are not considered highways.
- The defendant may also argue that there claim falls under exceptional situations. If the individual is military personnel or is a licensed visitor from a different state, the charge will be dismissed.
If you need a Virginia Driving Without a License Lawyer to help you with your Driving Without License Fairfax Attorney, call us at 888-437-7747. Our Virginia Driving Without a License Attorneys can help, you. C