Driving with a suspended license can get you a hefty fine or even land you in jail. If you're not sure about the status of your license, it's best to check before you hit the road. It's not hard to check if you have a suspended license. All you have to do is make a phone call or a personal visit to your local DMV office and you'll find out in no time.
Call the DMV
Call your local DMV and ask them to tell you the status of your license. You're going to have to provide your full name, date of birth, driver's license number and social security number. Depending on who answers the phone, you may be on hold for a while. If you're around your local DMV office, you can simply walk in there and a clerk will direct you in the right area. Almost anybody in the office with access to a computer will be able to pull up your record. They will not give out any information to anybody who isn't the license holder, so make sure you go or call yourself.
Order a Driving Record
One of the best ways to check if you have a suspended license is by purchasing a driving record. It will cost you no more than $20 and can be helpful if you need to provide your driving record to a job or a judge. There are three ways you can order your driving record. You can order by calling the DMV and paying by credit card. You can download the one page form from your state's DMV website and print it out. Once you fill it out, you can send a check and the form to your local DMV and they will send you your driving report within 10 days. You can also get the report in person. Just go to your DMV office and pay by cash, check or money order.
Read More: How to Obtain a Ten Year Driving Record
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The NHTSA keeps a record of all license statuses. Simply call the Administration (1-888-327-4236) and they will be able to tell you the status of your license. You're going to need to provide your first and last name, date of birth, driver's license number and possibly social security number. They will be able to tell you if your license is suspended in a matter of minutes. They may also be able to tell you what you need to do in order to get it back and how long it will be suspended for.
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Writer Bio
Michael Jones reported campus news stories for The University of Southern California's student newspaper, "The Daily Trojan," for four years before graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in journalism. He has since gone on to write for several publications both in America and abroad and has an idiosyncratic knack for translating the most intricate tasks into layman speak.