Juvenile Traffic Offenses Can Lead to Loss of License

 Posted on November 19, 2015 in Traffic Offenses

One of the most exciting things about becoming a young adult is that teens can obtain driving privileges. Starting as early as age 15, teens can apply for a driver’s permit, and can work their way up through the graduated driver’s license program offered by the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. After the permit phase is complete, or when a teen reaches the age of 16, teens aged 16-17 can enter the initial licensing phase, and once a teen turns 18, he or she can enter the full licensing phase. So long as teens comply with the rules set forth concerning the permit phase and/or the initial licensing phase, they can keep happily driving wherever they want to go.

Traffic Violations Impact Teens’ Ability to Drive

However, receiving a citation for a driving offense can impact or endanger a teen’s driving privileges. Juvenile traffic offenses, such as the following, may endanger the privilege of driving:

• Receiving a moving violation conviction while in the permit phase of the graduated license program means that a teen driver will have to wait an extra nine months before he or she can apply for the initial licensing phase.
• Similarly, getting caught driving without a permit will leave a teen ineligible for a driver’s license until the age of 18.
• Permit holder teens driving in violation of the nighttime driving restrictions, codified by 625 ILCS 5/6-107(b), can result in a suspension of a teen’s driving privileges.
• While a driver is under the age of 21, if the young driver gets two driving offense convictions within a 24 month period then under 625 ILCS 5/6-206(a)(36) the young driver will end up with a suspension of his or her driver’s license.
• Any young driver whose driver’s license is suspended will have to pay a reinstatement fee of $70.
• When a teen goes to get his or her driver’s license, if there are any unresolved traffic citations, a driver’s license will not be issued.

Driving without a License

Driving without a license can land a teen in a lot of trouble. A teen is not permitted to drive without a valid license in Illinois, which means that if the teen does not have one, or it is suspended or revoked, he or she is not supposed to operate a vehicle. Even if the teen has a valid license, but he or she just does not have it with him or her at the time the teen is pulled over by law enforcement, he or she can be cited for driving without a driver’s license.

If a teen is caught driving without a license, if he or she is not able to prove that he or she does in fact hold a valid license, the teen will be subject to a license suspension. What this means is that the teen’s ability to apply for a driver’s license in the future is suspended for a period of time. Even if the teen has never held a driver’s license to begin with, his or her ability to apply for one would be suspended. Driving without a license can result in a Class B misdemeanor, while driving with a suspended or revoked license is a Class A misdemeanor.

Call the Law Offices of Christopher M. Cosley

If you are a teen or have a teen who has gotten a traffic violation which could impact his or her driving privileges, please do not hesitate to contact an experienced Rolling Meadows juvenile matters lawyer immediately. Call the Law Offices of Christopher M. Cosley. Our phone number is 847-253-3100.

Source:

https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/teen_driver_safety/gdl.html