Arrested in Georgia for Suspended Tennessee License

[shh1992]

My question involves a driver's license issued by the State of: Tennessee

I was recently arrested in Georgia for having a suspended Tennessee license in Georgia. When I check my license status on Tennessee's website, it shows up as "valid." I was not made aware of my license being suspended by Georgia officials. When I was arrested yesterday, the arresting officer told me that it is very possible that I was not made aware of my license being suspended because Georgia is not required to let Tennessee residents know of license being suspended in Georgia. I was put in a holding cell for hours until my parents posted bail. I was told that my suspension was already over when I was arrested, and that I was arrested because I had not gotten a new license. My court date is set in August. Does this mean I am not allowed to drive in Tennessee even though my license status in Tennessee is valid? Am I allowed to just pay all of my fines and fees and get my license renewed? Will this drop record of being arrested?

Please help me! This is my first time EVER being arrested, and I have no idea what to do or expect.

[Mr. Knowitall]

You say "I was recently arrested in Georgia for having a suspended Tennessee license in Georgia" - in which case you will verify the status of your license with Tennessee DMV officials on Monday morning and, if you aren't in fact suspended, obtain whatever documentation you need to establish that you were ticketed in error.

You then say, "I was not made aware of my license being suspended by Georgia officials." So it seems we're not talking about a "suspended Tennessee license" - we're talking about your having a suspension in Georgia.

If you committed some type of traffic violation in Georgia that resulted in the suspension of your driving privileges in Georgia, such as by failing to appear in court on a traffic ticket for which an appearance was required, or failing to pay fines on a ticket you received in Georgia, that information may not have been abstracted to Tennessee or may not have been processed by Tennessee into a suspension of your Tennessee license - but if you're suspended in Georgia you cannot legally drive in Georgia even if you have a valid license from another state.

You should try to resolve the suspension in Georgia before it gets processed by Tennessee because that way you'll avoid having to pay reinstatement fees in both states, and you may also avoid a probable significant increase in your auto insurance premiums that will follow if your insurer learns of the suspension.

As long as your Tennessee license remains valid, you can drive in any state in which you're not suspended.

[shh1992]

Oh.. Well, I think this is why my license was suspended in GA: A few years ago, I received a ticket in Catoosa County as a "super speeder." I did go to court and the judge dismissed the charges; I thought this meant that he dismissed all of my charges, but apparently I was still supposed to pay my "super speeder" ticket. I did not know this and I never received anything in the mail from GA officials about paying the ticket.

I am wondering how I would have to go about getting the suspension resolved in GA. In addition, I do not know what my next step should be. Should I get a lawyer? If I pay all of my fees up front on Monday, will my charges from getting arrested and everything get dropped? Please let me know! And thank you for your help!

[Mr. Knowitall]

You can investigate what it will take to fix the unpaid ticket - probably the payment of fines and late fees; possibly a court appearance - and do that. You can then pay your driver's license reinstatement fee to the State of Georgia.

In terms of your new charge, if you are expected to be in court on Monday you've waited until the last minute. Ideally, you would be walking into court with proof that you have your suspension fully resolved. Depending upon the type of hearing, a prosecutor may or may not be there. Exactly what type of hearing is this? An arraignment? If so you should be able to plead not guilty and take the time to reinstate your license, consult a lawyer and attempt to plea bargain the charge.