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What’s the difference between surrendering your license and it being suspended?
I have a medical condition that requires me to surrender my license for a few years. Is this considered a license suspension? What’s the difference between a surrender and a license suspension?
Emily Maracle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
The biggest difference between surrendering your license and it being suspended is that license surrendering is typically considered voluntary while a
license suspension
is required by law. The specific differences between a surrender and a suspension will suspend on your state’s DMV. Here’s what you can generally expect:
- License suspension: This is typically due to an excessive amount of tickets, driving violations, accidents, ordriving without insurance. Your state DMV will require you to surrender your license as a legal consequence of your actions.
- Voluntary license surrender: This is typically due to a medical condition or moving states. Even though your loss of driving privileges may feel like a requirement of your current life situation, it doesn’t have the negative impact that a license suspension has.
You can usually reinstate a surrendered license by talking to the DMV once your medical condition has improved or you’ve settled into your new state. A license suspension, on the other hand, comes with ongoing negative side effects:
The bottom line: A license surrender is an agreement while a license suspension is a punishment.
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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