Since drivers younger than age 21 have less experience, Georgia will suspend their drivers’ licenses for many different traffic offenses. For drivers under 21 traffic violations, it is important to hire an experienced attorney who knows the laws and how they apply to young drivers. Working with a lawyer for GA drivers under 21 at our firm might help you to defend against your ticket and resolve it without facing a Georgia drivers under 21 license suspension. Because of the risks involved, you should not plead guilty or pay a fine without understanding the consequences. Below, we have provided an overview of different traffic offenses that could result in the loss of your driving privileges.
Offenses that will result in a suspension of your license regardless of age
Several offenses will result in an automatic suspension of your license if you are convicted regardless of your age. Some of these include the following:
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-270 – Leaving the scene of an accident – If you leave the scene of an accident without exchanging information or providing help to an injured person, your license can be suspended. If someone is killed, you could also face a felony carrying one to five years in prison. If the accident resulted in only property damage, it is still a misdemeanor carrying up to 12 months in jail and a minimum fine of $300 plus the suspension of your license.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-186 – Racing on streets or highways – If you are convicted of racing other drivers on streets or highways, your license will be suspended. You will also have a misdemeanor on your record and face a fine of up to $1,000.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-395 – Fleeing or eluding – If you fail to pull over for a police officer and try to flee, a conviction will be an aggravated misdemeanor. Your license will be suspended, and you will face a minimum mandatory 10 days in jail up to 12 months and a fine from $500 to $5,000. If you travel more than 20 miles per hour above the speed limit, have an accident, cross state lines, or drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs while attempting to elude a police officer, a conviction will result in a felony on your record carrying from one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-391 – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs – You can be convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol if you have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02% within three hours of driving, which is much lower than the legal limit for older people. A conviction will result in a suspension of your license, a misdemeanor on your record, a fine from $300 to $1,000, a minimum of 10 days up to 12 months in jail, community service, and other penalties for drivers under 21.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-10 – Driving without insurance – If you are convicted of driving without insurance, your driver’s license will be suspended. You will also have a misdemeanor on your record and face a fine from $200 to $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail.
In addition to these offenses, there are several others that will result in an automatic suspension of your driver’s license regardless of your age, including the following:
- Vehicular homicide
- Vehicular feticide
- Serious injury by vehicle
- Driving with a suspended or revoked license
- Driving with a suspended or revoked registration
- CDL drivers refusing to weigh
Four or more point offenses for Georgia drivers under 21 license suspension
The penalties for drivers under 21 for offenses carrying for or more points include a license suspension. Some of these include the following:
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-163 – Unlawfully passing a school bus – If you pass a school bus that has operated its stop signal, you can be convicted of this offense. As a driver under the age of 21, a conviction will result in six points on your license, a misdemeanor on your record, a license suspension, and a fine of up to $1,000.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-45 – Improperly passing on a curve or hill – A conviction for someone under age 21 will result in four points on your license, a suspended license, and a fine.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-181 – Exceeding the posted speed limit by 24 mph or more – A conviction for someone under age 21 will result in four points on your license, a suspended license, and a fine.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-397 – Aggressive driving – A conviction for aggressive driving will result in six points on your license, a suspended license for someone younger than age 21, and a fine. Aggressive driving can be charged when you commit many other types of traffic violations when you do so with the intent to annoy, injure, intimidate, or harass someone else.
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-390 – Reckless driving – If you are convicted of reckless driving when you are under age 21, you will have four points added to your license, have your license suspended, and be forced to pay a fine.
The suspension period for an under-21 driver who is convicted for one of these offenses is a minimum of six months for the first offense. Second convictions of one of these drivers under 21 traffic violations will result in a suspension of your license for 12 months.
Talk to a lawyer for GA drivers under 21
Many people wrongly assume that traffic tickets cannot be beaten. However, you can defend against a ticket, and you should never agree to enter a guilty plea to one of these or other traffic offenses. An experienced attorney for drivers under the age of 21 can review your case and explain your legal options. Contact us today to request a consultation.