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What happens if I get pulled over without a license?

My boyfriend was missing an ingredient while cooking dinner. I offered to run to the store and grab it, but I forgot I took my license out of my wallet earlier—and I got pulled over! What’s going to happen to me without my license?

avatar
Cassandra Hamilton · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
You’re not alone in forgetting your license—we’ve all done it. If you get caught driving without your license, it can play out in one of two ways:
  • The officer runs your registration and compares your appearance with the description the DMV has on file. It matches well enough and you’re free to go after receiving your
    traffic ticket
    for being pulled over and a citation for driving without a license.
    1. The officer has no way to verify your identity. They can’t just let you off, so you’re arrested and taken to the station. Your vehicle is towed and impounded. What was a simple act of absentmindedness has now turned into a major headache!
Either way, you can probably get the citation for driving without a license dismissed if you bring your license to court and prove it was valid at the time of the incident.
After the ticket you received goes on your record, your rates are likely to go up. Rate increases are a great time to comparison shop for new car insurance—and there’s a pocket-sized comparison shopping genius to do it for you! Try
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