Posted by duijim in on October 22, 2014
Under 21 Speeding Ticket
Georgia drivers who are under 21 years old can easily have their driver’s license suspended for speeding. In examining drivers under the age of 21 we must look at 2 groups.
The first group is drivers whom an under 21 speeding ticket will suspend are under the age of 18. Drivers under the age of 18 can have their driver’s license suspended for accumulating 4 or more points on their license in a 2 year period. Since most speeding, and moving, violations in Georgia assess at least 3 points on a driver’s license it is easy for a young driver to quickly accumulate 4 or more points on their license. If this occurs the driver’s license is suspended for 6 months, and this is a hard suspension meaning there is no limited permit for work, school, etc.
The second group of underage drivers whom a under 21 speeding ticket will suspend are drivers aged 18 t0 21. Once a driver reaches the age of 18 their license will not be suspended for speeding unless the driver receives 4 or more points from a single speeding offense. This means the driver must be convicted of speeding 24 mph or more over the posted speed limit. This suspension is for 6 months, but a limited permit may be available. The permit may only be issued by the sentencing judge, and the driver must be at least 18 years old at the time of conviction and their speed must have been between 24 and 33 mph over the posted speed limit.
Any driver under the age of 21 who is suspended for speeding must wait out the 6 month suspension period, attend a Georgia Department of Driver Services approved defensive driving school, and pay a reinstatement fee before getting their license back.
In addition to paying a fine most judges require underage drivers to perform community service, attend defensive driving school, risk reduction school, Alive at 25 classes, MADD Victim Impact Panels, and serve time on probation as additional punishment. Unlike drivers over the age of 21, underage drivers in Georgia do not simply pay a fine and go on their way.
Drivers under the age of 21 may not use a Nolo Contendere, or no contest, plea to avoid getting points on their license. If the court accepts a Nolo plea from an under 21 year old driver the Georgia Department of Driver Services will convert the no contest plea to Guilty and assess points to the license anyway.
The most important fact to know when working with underage drivers is the license suspension is imposed based on the driver’s age at conviction, and not the driver’s age when they are cited. For example, if an under 21 year old driver was ticketed for speeding 90 in a 55 mph zone, the driver turns 21 before his court date, and then is convicted of speeding 90 mph in a 55 mph zone after he turned 21 his license will not be suspended.
It is also important to understand that suspension are based on the speed that is reported to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, and the suspension is not based on the fact you received a citation.
Georgia drivers under the age of 21 can have easily have their license suspended for many reasons other than speeding. In order to avoid license suspension, community service, high fines, driver education classes, and higher insurance premiums contact us immediately.