If your New York driver’s license or privilege to drive has been suspended, it is important to know what type of suspension has been placed on it. A suspension can be indefinite or definite.
Indefinite Suspension
An indefinite suspension occurs when your NY license or driving privileges are revoked because you failed to meet a specific requirement. Common examples of an indefinite suspension are when you fail to pay a fine, failure to answer a New York traffic ticket and failure to pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment Fee. An indefinite suspension does not have an end date; instead, it will remain in effect until you resolve the underlying reason for the suspension (ex, answer the traffic ticket, pay the past due fine and surcharge or pay your Driver Responsibility Assessment Fee. However, it is often not enough to simply address the underlying cause of the suspension. When you are suspended, New York usually requires you to also pay a suspension termination fee (also called “Scoff” or “Scofflaw” fee). This is a fee that DMV charges to lift the suspension and reinstate your driver’s license or privilege. You can pay the Driver Responsibility Assessment Fee online. Note: Suspension Termination Fees do not apply to temporary suspensions that placed while waiting for an administrative hearing, criminal prosecution, or investigation to be completed.
Definite Suspension
A definite suspension, on the other hand, remains in effect for a set period of time. Once that suspension period has been served, you just pay a suspension termination fee and are automatically be reinstated. An example would be when you are issued a 90-day suspension for having too many points. After doing so, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will reinstate you and mail your license within 3 business days. However, there are 3 exceptions:
- If your license has expired, you will need to renew it.
- Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders must visit a DMV office to get back their license.
- Conditional or restricted license holders must also visit a DMV office to upgrade to a full license.
- If there are additional suspensions, revocations, or other issues with your record, your license will not be mailed until they are all resolved.
Paying Suspension Termination Fees
You have three options for paying suspension termination fees:
- Online: You can pay up to 10 suspension termination fees online in a single day. To do so, you’ll need to provide your DMV ID number, date of birth, gender, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. When doing so, we highly recommend that you ensure that your address is correct in the DMV system; if it needs updating, you can change it online by creating a MyDMV account. We have spoken with many, many motorists who failed to update his or her address and ended up suspended. DMV will only mail to the address on its file and updating your driver’s license address is NOT the same as updating it with the Traffic Violations Bureau. You need to do both.
- At a DMV Office: You can pay the fee in person at the DMV office listed on your suspension order.
- By Mail: If mail payment is allowed, your suspension order will include instructions on how to proceed.
After the Suspension Period Ends
Once your suspension period is over and you have paid the required fees, you can check the mailing status of your license using the DMV’s Photo ID Document Mailing Status service. Be sure to allow 3 business days for processing after the suspension period concludes.
By understanding the difference between indefinite and definite suspensions, as well as the steps to reinstate your license, you can get back on the road sooner. If you have any doubt, always confirm your license status before driving to avoid headaches.
