If your driver’s license has been suspended, you won’t be able to obtain a license in another state until you satisfy all requirements set by the state where your license was suspended. Once these requirements are met, you must reinstate your license in that state before it can be transferred over to your new state.
A suspended license is no small ordeal and can be very difficult to deal with—so much so that you might be tempted to move out of state and get a new license elsewhere. Unfortunately, a license suspension will follow you from state to state, with few exceptions.
We’ve put together the following guide walking you through the basic steps of how to go about reinstating a suspended license in a different state. (We’ll also shed some light on how a license suspension affects your car insurance
rates and what you can do to keep them low.) Compare quotes from 50+ insurers with Jerry in under 45 seconds?
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In most cases, yes, a suspended license will follow you out of state. This is largely thanks to the Drivers License Compact (DVC), an agreement between states (including D.C.) to share driving records with one another.
If you commit a traffic violation outside of your home state, the DVC allows the state you are currently in to pass along that information to your home state so they can apply their own laws to the infraction. This system also allows any state to verify whether your license is currently suspended.
As of 2023, there are only 5 states that do not participate in the Driver's License Compact. These are:
(Note that this doesn’t mean you will just “get away with” a major infraction in these states if you’re from out-of-state.)
What you need to do to reinstate a suspended license in a different state
If you hope to reinstate a suspended drivers license in a different state, you’ll need to do the following:
Satisfy the requirements of your license suspension in your old state
First and foremost, you will have to satisfy any and all requirements relating to your license suspension as set by the state that revoked your driving privileges. These requirements vary depending on the state and the severity of the offenses committed, but they typically include a set time when driving is entirely prohibited followed by paying a reinstatement fee to regain privileges.
In some instances—such as if you were suspended for driving under the influence (DUI)
—you may be required to take a defensive driving class or class on substance abuse, file an SR-22, pass a driver’s license/driver improvement course, and even install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle. If you are unsure of what your specific requirements are, check the suspension notice you received from your old state or your DMV’s .gov website.
Get a driver’s license reinstatement through your old state
Once you satisfy the requirements set by your old state, you can begin the process of reinstating your driver’s license. To do this, you will need to schedule an appointment with one of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) locations in your state.
The reinstatement process looks a little different from state to state, but you will generally be required to pay a reinstatement fee, reapply for your license, and pass any tests issued to you, such as a driving skills test.
Go to the DMV and transfer the license to your new state
Now that you have a valid license, you will need to visit a DMV location in your new state and transfer your license over. To do this, you will need to provide proof of your identity, your address, and your out-of-state license—which they will take and replace with your new license.
What happens to your car insurance after a license suspension?
If you are ever convicted of a serious driving offense that results in a full license suspension, you may be required to file an SR-22 before your license can be reinstated. In the most basic terms, an SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility issued by your auto insurance company that shows you have purchased the minimum insurance requirements necessary to meet your state’s car insurance laws.
By itself, an SR-22 isn’t particularly expensive and typically costs between $15 to $25, depending on the insurance provider.
What will become expensive after a driver’s license suspension and filing an SR-22 is your auto insurance policy. On average, drivers who have had their license suspended in the past will see a 50-75% increase in their car insurance rates. If you were suspended for a DUI, your rates may increase by as much as 200%.
This is primarily due to the greater perceived risk in insuring people with serious traffic violations on their driver’s records.
NOTE: If you live in Virginia or Florida and your license was suspended after a DUI or DWI, you may be required to file an FR-44 instead of an SR-22 before your license can be reinstated. An FR-44 serves more or less the same purpose as an SR-22. Florida and Virginia just separate DUIs from other major moving violations.
The bottom line
To recap, if you want to reinstate a suspended license in a different state, you must:
Complete all reinstatement requirements set by the state that suspended your license.
Successfully reinstate your license in that state by paying a license reinstatement fee.
Have your reinstated license transferred to your new state at a state DMV office.
Even if you get a new license and change your license status, the repercussions of having had a suspended license will follow you wherever you go. Your driving record will take a hit and you will see a marked increase in your auto insurance rates, especially if you were suspended for a DUI/DWI.
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