Driving without a license in the Hudson Valley: unlicensed operation vs. aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle

Would you ever think to drive a car if you didn’t even have a license? If you’ve never had one, you might think twice, but if your license is suspended or revoked you might not even be aware of the problem, or think that it’s worth the risk. It probably isn’t.

It’s an interesting quirk of New York law that the penalties for unlicensed operation (driving without ever having had a license) are less severe than for continuing to drive once that privilege has been taken away, even temporarily. A completely unlicensed driver who is pulled over could be looking at a fine of up to $300 and up to 15 days is jail. Since there’s no license, there’s no points. The potential for jail time should be enough to give one pause, but not everyone knows about the penalties ahead of time.

Aggravated unlicensed operation carries much stiffer penalties. This is reserved for people who drive after their license has been suspended or revoked. If you have failed to answer a ticket and your current address isn’t in the DMV system, you may never have gotten notice of a suspension in the mail. AUO is a misdemeanor that has fines starting at $500, and jail sentences of a week to six months. Repeat offenses make the penalties more severe.

In either case, if you can’t produce a licensed driver on the spot, your car might get impounded, which means more fees and more headaches.

A misdemeanor traffic ticket is a serious matter. While it’s best to get a free consultation with me because you know you have some old tickets outstanding, if those charges fell through the cracks you may have call Selby Legal because you have to clear some scofflaw fees and answer those original charges. It’s not an ideal situation, but I know how to manage it and I can be there with you every step of the way. It’s not too late to call.