Every so often, prospective clients inquired about their suspended license. A common question asked is since I have already paid my fines and fees for OAS. Why is my license still suspended? Consider for a moment the fictional story of Billy, who was arrested for driving to endanger. After his arrest, he thought a lawyer was too expensive and chooses to proceed without an attorney. Billy was sentenced for a fine of $575 and a loss of his license for 30 days. While his license was suspended, Billy choose to drive to work to keep his job. One day he got pulled over for speeding and was charged with Operating After Suspension. Billy also chose to proceed and just plead guilty to Operating after Suspension. It has been 30 days since the DTE conviction and Billy has paid his fine of $575. Billy has also paid his additional Operating After Suspension Fine of $250. Now, Billy is wondering when his Maine driver’s license will be reinstated.
I already paid my fines and fees for OAS. Why is my license still suspended?
The truth of the matter is once you have finished paying your fines and fees to the Court or the Violations Bureau, your Maine Driver’s License is not automatically reinstated. You must first pay all of the reinstatement fees to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and then your license will be reinstated.
The answer to the question (I already paid my fines and fees for OAS. Why is my license still suspended?) is: your license is not officially “reinstated” until after you pay all reinstatement fees to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
Why are Reinstatement Fees Important?
Every time there is a violation or offense that results in a suspension of your driver’s license, it is Maine BMV policy that you pay a $50.00 “reinstatement fee” to the BMV. While I used OAS in this example, this rule is not limited to OAS. You are required to pay reinstatement fees in a number of different situations:
- Pay Reinstatement Fee after an OUI- related license suspension
- Pay Reinstatement Fee after a license suspension for failure to pay a speeding ticket
- Pay Reinstatement Fee after a DTE- related license suspension
This “reinstatement fee” is different from and completely separate from your fees and fines paid to the Court or the Violations Bureau. The more offenses you have with license suspensions as a consequence, the more reinstatement fees pile up. The bottom line is that your license will not be reinstated until you pay your reinstatement fees. So for our fictional story of Billy, Billy would need to pay the $50.00 reinstatement fee twice. Once to reinstate his license for the DTE-related suspension and once for the OAS related suspension.
The best way to avoid having to pay reinstatement fees is to avoid a license suspension is to fight all driving-related criminal charges and traffic violations while they are pending at court. I have had great successes helping clients fight their OAS or DTE charges. If you or someone you know is charged with a driving-related crime in Maine, I encourage you to contact The Nielsen Group for your free legal consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney. We will take the time to answer your questions and to put your mind at ease as we work with you to determine a defense strategy.
It is well worth your time to check out:
If you would like to call us now at (207) 571-8555, we can begin to develop your case strategy.
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