Can You Get an ID Card with a Suspended Driver’s License?
Having your license suspended usually means you are required to surrender the license. Since you’ll still need a photo ID, states offer alternative ID cards for non-drivers.
, you probably had it taken away from you. Since you’re probably still going to need a valid form of photo ID, you can apply for a state issued ID card for non drivers.
Driver’s licenses are the primary form of state-issued photo identification in most states, but they’re not the only form.
If your driving privilege has been suspended, you should still have access to a non-driver state ID card.
When your license is reinstated, you will likely have to trade in your non-driver ID for a new driver’s license—most states only allow you to have one or the other.
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Can you get an ID card with a suspended driver’s license?
Yes—you do not need to have a driver’s license in order to have state-issued photo identification. While driver’s licenses are usually the main form of photo ID used in the U.S., not everyone has one, and people still need official photo identification for various purposes. A non-driver state ID will still include your photo, date of birth, and usually even your driver’s license number—the ID just won’t grant you permission to drive.
In fact, if your license has been suspended, it is usually recommended that you apply for a non-driver state ID card as soon as possible. You will likely need to pay a fee for this new card, and when your license is reinstated, you may need to turn in your non-driver ID card for another new driver’s license.
Most of the time, you’ll have to submit an application for a state identification card. You’ll need to fill out a form and provide proof of identity, proof of residency, and proof that you’re a U.S. citizen or a “lawfully present non-U.S. citizen.”
You’ll likely also need to provide your Social Security Number and contact information, have your picture taken, and pay a fee for the physical ID card. The price usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your state, although this fee can sometimes be waived in necessary circumstances.
What are the reinstatement requirements for a suspended license?
The conditions for reinstating your license should be described in your driver license suspension notice. Usually, you’ll be required to ensure that all of your fines are paid, file an SR-22 insurance form, and follow any other procedures outlined in your notice or in your state’s laws. For example, you may be required to take a driver education course.
The hardest thing will likely be the waiting. You won’t be able to reinstate your license until the end of the court-ordered suspension period. In some cases, this could be a year or longer, but it may only be a number of weeks. And don’t forget, you’ll probably need to pay a reinstatement fee to get your license back once the suspension period is over.
While you can often reinstate a driver’s license after a suspension, a license revocation is usually more serious. You may not be able to get your driver’s license back at all, or you might be required to go through a more complicated reapplication process.
If you had a commercial driver license (CDL), it might be much harder to get your commercial driving privileges back after a serious traffic violation.
“My speeding ticket raised my insurance to $310/month.
In most states, getting a photo ID card takes at least a week. You will usually be issued a temporary non-photoID when you submit your ID card application, but don’t expect to get your photo ID on the same day that you apply.
Will a state ID work if your driver’s license is suspended?
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Yes. You have to surrender a suspended driver’s license to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or Department of Transportation (DOT). However you will still be able to have a state ID for photo identification, in the form of a non-driver ID card. This allows people with bad driving records to still have a form of valid state-issued photo identification.
If you have a suspended out-of-state driver’s license, you may still apply for a state ID card in the state you’re currently in, but you’ll usually have to surrender any out-of-state ID.
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