Top Check Your License Status

Whenever the need comes up to check the status of your driver's license, you can order a driving record report. This report will specify if your license is currently valid. If your license has been suspended or revoked, it will be indicated according to your records at the BMV. The report will also show points against your license and, in some cases, information on any accidents you have had.

Top Reasons for Suspension

There are many violations that might result in a license suspension in Indiana. Some of these include:

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated

• Refusing a breathalyzer/chemical test

• Failing a breathalyzer/chemical test

• Driving while license is already suspended

• Miscellaneous criminal acts while in a vehicle

• Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle

• Failing to appear for or pay for traffic offenses

• Failing to meet insurance/financial responsibility requirements

• Dropping out of or being expelled from school

• Accumulating too many points on your driving record

• Failing to complete a mandatory driver improvement course

• Writing a bad check to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV)

• Failing to pay child support

• The act of graffiti

Obviously, the reasons for suspension vary widely. So, too, do the length of suspensions, reinstatement requirements, appeals process and the possible fines involved.

For more information on your offense, call the Driver Improvement/Safety Responsibility Division of the BMV at (317) 232-2840. This is the division that oversees the handling of suspended licenses.

You may also write to the Division at:

• Indiana BMV

• P.O. Box 7169

• Indianapolis, IN 46209-7169

Top Notification of Suspension

You will be notified by mail when your suspension starts and stops. You will also be notified by mail about such matters as requests for proof of insurance and reinstatement requirements. All mail will be sent to the address on your license, unless you have notified the BMV of an address change.

Top Habitual Traffic Violators

You should be aware that Indiana's habitual traffic violator law enables the state to give repeat traffic offenders serious punishment for their infractions, including having their licenses suspended for 10 years.

You will be classified as a habitual offender if in the past 10 years any of the following apply to you:

• You've had two major offenses that resulted in injury or death. Examples of major offenses include driving while intoxicated or with a blood alcohol level of at least .08%, leaving the scene of an accident (in which you were involved) that caused injury or death, reckless homicide, and voluntary or involuntary manslaughter stemming from the use of your vehicle.

• You've been guilty of three major offenses. These include all of the infractions listed above, and also leaving the scene of any accident or neglecting to make an accident report, driving without ever having a license, driving while intoxicated or with a blood alcohol level of at least .08%, reckless driving, drag racing, driving with a suspended license stemming from a criminal act with a vehicle, and any felony committed using a vehicle.

Also, your license will be suspended for five years if:

• You've had 10 moving violations of any kind in the past 10 years, one of which is a major offense mentioned above.

If you are caught driving while on a habitual offender license suspension, you will be guilty of a felony and might lose your driving privileges for life.

Top Hardship Licenses

Under some circumstances, you may petition the court to obtain a hardship license, which will give you limited driving privileges while your suspension is in effect. The BMV has more information on the subject.

Top Forms

Many of the forms associated with suspensions, along with a description of their use, might be found on the state's suspension page.

Top Reinstatement

You may apply for reinstatement at any of the eight reinstatement branches located throughout Indiana.

The reinstatement fees are as follows:

• 1st time: $150

• 2nd time: $225

• 3rd time: $300

• Additional: $300

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