Driving with no license

[lovesocal]

if i get pulled over for not having a driver's license but i sincerely say that i forgot it at home and just realized it, what's going to happen to me and my car?

what if i can provide an alternative form of ID in the meantime? i live in california. are the rules the same for the local PDs and the CHP?

thanks.

[Jim1648]

No DL

I can't answer for California, but I would say that the answer could vary significantly depending on where this happens. In many areas, mine for example, if you have a drivers license and it can be verified via the computer, probably nothing happens to you or your car. Other places they will cite you for not having a drivers license in possession. In other areas, if you have no identification and no other means of verifying your identity, you might be jailed and your car might be impounded. I know that sounds pretty harsh, but think about it. Here is somebody with no identification that could be wanted and if there is another charge probably won't appear in court if his/her identity cannot be verified.

I think my neighboring Wisconsin requires traffic violators to post bail or bond on the spot. Now I don't know if that is just out of state violators, just the Wisconsin State Patrol, just more serious traffic violators, etc., but I have heard of folks in Minnesota driving fast in Wisconsin, stopped by the Wisconsin State Patrol, and then transported to the local jail until they can post bond. It could be just urban legend or VERY dated information. Just think, in many organizations you could effectively tie up the whole shift and fill the jail up in short order with traffic violators. (And my jail whines when I bring someone in on a felony warrant.)

[SgtScott31]

In TN, it's a citable offense to be driving without your license on your person, regardless if you have another means of identifying yourself. Technically I can take you to jail for it, but if another photo ID is available, I will just cite and cut you loose.

[Tim Dees]

if i get pulled over for not having a driver's license but i sincerely say that i forgot it at home and just realized it, what's going to happen to me and my car?

what if i can provide an alternative form of ID in the meantime? i live in california. are the rules the same for the local PDs and the CHP?

thanks.

If you had an "alternative form of ID," you might skate with a ticket for no DL in possession. This would depend on what kind of ID you had in possession, and whether the validity of your DL could be confirmed over the radio. I have been told hundreds of times, "I left my license at home. You can call it in." Gee, can I? I love taking up air time and standing around waiting for the results!

I'd also be asking you why you can remember your "alternative form of ID," but can't remember to carry your license.

I used to be pretty slack on trying to confirm missing DLs over the radio, and then I got bitten on the butt. I stopped a guy for some violation I can't remember now. He said he didn't have his license in possession, but was able to give me his name, date of birth, address, and social security number (which is what we used for a DL number at the time). Everything came back clear, with a valid license. I wrote him for the violation and went on my way. This was against department policy, but was still a common practice. Anything that kept the jail census down was considered a blessing.

Months later, I'm in court on the ticket. The prosecutor tells me that the defendant swears that he's not the one I stopped, and wants me to talk to him. I do this, and 30 seconds later I know he's not the guy I stopped. The one I stopped was the defendant's black sheep brother, who had a revoked driver's license pursuant to his second DUI conviction. He had memorized the law-abiding brother's information to parrot back to me.

This gets better, or actually, worse. The black sheep brother didn't do anything about the citation, big surprise there. The citation went to warrant, which automatically suspended the DL of the person named in the warrant, the one that was in court. He was with his wife at Lake Tahoe when he was pulled over for something innocuous. Before he knows it, he's in handcuffs in the back of a patrol car, arrested on the warrant and for driving while suspended. It took days for him to be able to get enough money for bail, during which he lost his job. This guy did absolutely nothing wrong, and got screwed mightily for it.

I apologized to him, for whatever that was worth, and the charges against him were dismissed. I offered to talk to his former boss, but he said he'd found another job since then. I don't know why he didn't sue me and the department, because he would have had a slam dunk if he did.

After that, if I wasn't certain who you were and that you had a valid DL, you were leaving with me. We had a lot of dumb policies, but that one turned out to be well-considered.

[LeeRoy]

If you don't have your license you can be cited for 12951(a) of the vehicle code which is normally a fix it violation (pay $10 and show your license to the court). The caveat is that we can take you into custody (40302(a) CVC ) if you lack satisfactory evidence of identification. If you have some reasonable alternate form of identification and we find matching info in the DMV computer you'll most likely get a fix it ticket at the most. No reasonable ID and/or DMV system is down you have a good chance of being taken into custody.

I've rarely arrested for 40302(a) cvc. I can usually find enough info in the computer system and if you answer questions correctly I can reasonably be sure if you are telling me the truth about your identity. If I suspect somebody is lying I'll typically slap the cuffs on. 99% once folks know they are going to jail they give up their real name.

[deputy x 2]

Once it is confirmed that your license IS valid, you will probably get a cite for the original violation, plus the license not in possession and probably no evidence of insurance.

People don't generally memorize their DL # and it wouldn't be a first that someone uses someone else's info.

[SRT936]

I think my neighboring Wisconsin requires traffic violators to post bail or bond on the spot. Now I don't know if that is just out of state violators, just the Wisconsin State Patrol, just more serious traffic violators, etc., but I have heard of folks in Minnesota driving fast in Wisconsin, stopped by the Wisconsin State Patrol, and then transported to the local jail until they can post bond. It could be just urban legend or VERY dated information. Just think, in many organizations you could effectively tie up the whole shift and fill the jail up in short order with traffic violators. (And my jail whines when I bring someone in on a felony warrant.)

Not an urban legend. Out of state violators can (not shall) be brought to the local SO or jail to post bond on ANY traffic violation prior to being released. My agency does not do it as a matter of course, but the WSP does. Of course, now days we can actually do a credit card posting on scene. Cuts down on the extra trip.

[firemanjb]

First, you probably aren't getting stopped for not having a license. You'd generally have to commit another offense to attract an officer's attention. That is, unless you own the car and you don't have a valid O/L. If that's the case, you're probably going to jail.

In KY, driving without your O/L in possession is arrestable, but it is normally cited to court. Driving without ANY O/L, that is being unlicensed or suspended, will usually involved a trip to jail and a towing of the vehicle. I've even arrested someone for letting an unlicensed driver drive his car...and for letting someone drive a car without insurance.

[lovesocal]

First, you probably aren't getting stopped for not having a license. You'd generally have to commit another offense to attract an officer's attention. That is, unless you own the car and you don't have a valid O/L. If that's the case, you're probably going to jail.

thanks fireman. but the reason i asked is sometimes i forget my wallet. i do keep an expired DL in the trunk in the event that i don't have my current one and i have to prove who i am.

[ignignokt373]

thanks fireman. but the reason i asked is sometimes i forget my wallet. i do keep an expired DL in the trunk in the event that i don't have my current one and i have to prove who i am.

Can't you just go out and buy a second one? Keep one in the car with your insurance and registration and the other one on your person.

I carry two. One in my wallet and one with my creds just in case.

[lovesocal]

Can't you just go out and buy a second one? Keep one in the car with your insurance and registration and the other one on your person.

I carry two. One in my wallet and one with my creds just in case.

do you mean have two DLs? is that legal?

so the DMV will approve if i want another DL?

[ignignokt373]

do you mean have two DLs? is that legal?

so the DMV will approve if i want another DL?

Why wouldn't they? It's you on the DL. And you paying the extra amount. Unless there is some strange law saying that you cannot be in possession of two of your own DLs, I would think it would be legal.

The ones I have are issued from MO. I told the clerk I wanted an extra one (just in case) and they sold them to me.

When they expire in a few short months, I will get a new one issued from VA and will ask if it's legal in VA to have two. If it is, I will get two. One for my wallet and one to go with my Creds.

[Gundo]

In Cali it is one and only one...but you could get an ID card has the same number on it. CA law states if you the officer can not verify the operators license status, impound the vehicle. I am personally quite happy with our new computer system, I can actually see your cdl and picture on the computer in my car...Also I ALWAYS grab a thumb print whenever I cite someone without their CDL...Makes it much easier to id them 3 years later...

[dignon]

severe punishment

Depending upon all other "attendant circumstances"...I don't usually write a citation for it...as long as everything matches up (you come back on the computer and height, weight, etc matches).

As for 2 D.L.'s, here in colorado...you can't have two forms of state issued ID. You can't have a DL AND a state ID, and you can't have two DL's. It has something to do with the possible selling of DL's to undocumented people.

[VA Dutch]

Here in VA, you can only have one -- either a driver's license OR a state-issued ID card (typically given to you by DMV when your license is suspended or revoked).

As for having duplicate copies of your driver's license, I do not know if that is legal or not. I have an extra one, but strictly by accident. I had used my original DL when entering a military installation (job-related call) and they forgot to give it back to me. When I used my credit card a day later and realized my license was missing, I went to DMV, paid a few bucks and then was issued a duplicate license. (I had phoned the security personnel at the gate the day after I discovered my license was missing, but nobody there had my DL in their possession.)

Two days later, my original one showed up in the mail. Someone apparently had found it - Good Karma! - and sent it to me. Anyway, I now keep my "old" one as a spare (in my house) and use my duplicate license as my regular one. I am sure it is in the computer that I have a 'duplicate' license and it is imprinted with 'Duplicate' below my address information. The main thing, though, is that it is still my photo and I don't have two different licenses from different states (a big no-no nowadays).

In a nutshell, just go to DMV and tell them your license was lost or mutilated. A duplicate will cost a few clams, but may come in handy sometime.