First things first: If you are driving on a suspended license, it would probably benefit you to investigate other transportation options as soon as possible. If you get pulled over, you are likely to face severe consequences. Please keep in mind that every situation is different, and nothing in this article is intended as legal advice.

In suspension cases, prevention is often much more effective than cure. You could qualify for provisional licenses in certain circumstances — it is almost certainly worth your time to find out if this is the case before you drive in violation of the law.

What To Do If You Are Pulled Over With a Suspended License

If you were already pulled over and cited for driving on a suspended or revoked license, you may still have some options. You would probably face criminal charges, most likely a class A misdemeanor. The potential consequences for this include up to a year in jail and significant fines.

Seek Counsel

As with nearly every criminal charge you might face, one of your first steps should be to seek counsel and representation from an attorney. Your lawyer would be the only person who is both qualified and obligated to act in your best interests while you defend your rights. It may also help to remember that, conversely, police or state attorneys would probably be acting against your best interests.

Protect Your Rights

At the very least, officials would probably collect evidence to use against you. They may also offer you deals that benefited the state of Illinois more than they benefited you. In order to protect your rights as much as possible, you should probably not provide police officers with any more information than is legally necessary and refrain from signing documents until you get all the facts.

Remain Calm

One of the most important things is to remain calm. Receiving a citation for driving without a license is a serious matter, but it is not the end of the world. Even under the most serious circumstances, you still have choices that could positively affect your future. You have the choice to seek representation. You have the choice to remain silent when questioned by law enforcement. These are your fundamental rights.

If you have any questions about how your rights may affect your traffic stop, it would never be too soon to contact an attorney to get advice specific to your situation. Please call us at (312) 940-8330 to speak with a lawyer today.