Driver's License Suspension Archives - Page 18 of 31

Personal Narrative: Kevin

Kevin lives in a rural town in Alabama and is disabled. He relies on his monthly disability check to support him and his partner. He could not afford car insurance, but he continued to drive since there are no other viable options for transportation where he lives. After he was ticketed for lack of insurance, his license was suspended and his fine only compounded the thousands of dollars in court debt he already owed.

Virginia Senate Bill 1013: Relating to suspension of driver’s license for nonpayment of fines or costs.

This bill, which did not pass, would have ended driver's license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees in Virginia.

Stinnie v. Holcomb

This case challenges the constitutionality of a Virginia statute that requires the automatic suspension of the driver’s licenses of people who fail to pay court fines and fees.

Personal Narrative: Khalid

Khalid never received notice of fines and fees that led to his driver's license being suspended. He lost a job offer because he had no license.

Personal Narrative: Graciela

Graciela is a 76-year-old caregiver who takes three different buses for five hours to get to work each day. She receives Supplemental Security Income. Her license was suspended because of unpaid Driver’s Responsibility Program (DRP) surcharges.

Kavadas et al. v. Martinez et al.

In New Jersey, driver’s licenses were automatically suspended when bench warrants were issued to non-custodial parents for nonpayment of child support.

Legal Financial Obligations in Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s use of legal financial obligations (LFOs) as a revenue mechanism is a long-established practice. The state enacted its first surcharge in 1977, and the number has grown significantly since. …

Criminal Justice Debt in the South: A Primer for the Southern Partnership to Reduce Debt

Criminal justice debt places a h eavy burden on low-income families, often making it harder for those who owe to earn a living, trapping them and their families in poverty. …

Speed Trap or Poverty Trap? Fines, Fees, and Financial Wellbeing

Steven Mello’s research paper investigates the effects of traffic fines on financial wellbeing by studying the correlation between Florida traffic citation records (between 2011 and 2015) and credit reports and payroll data of ticketed drivers.

Changing Course: Driver’s License Suspension in Florida

This policy brief explains some of the justifications for Florida’s practice of suspending driver’s licenses and explores the consequences of that practice—driver’s license suspension disproportionately burdens low-income individuals and has …