Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a Valid License

Driving without a license is prohibited under Florida Statute Section 322.03. Under the law, any person operating a motor vehicle within the state must have a valid drivers license. A motor vehicle is broadly defined under Florida laws. Literally any motorized wheeled vehicle capable of travelling the roads of the State requires a valid license. Many people believe that vehicles under a certain cc can be operated without a license. This is patently untrue. If your vehicle has a motor and wheels, a license is required, whether it be a car, a motorcycle, a scooter, or a motorized bicycle.

Licenses in the State of Florida can be suspended and revoked for a variety of petty reasons that can result in people picking up criminal charges for operating without a license. If you receive a traffic ticket and don’t pay it in time, your drivers license will be suspended. If you have outstanding court costs for a civil case or a criminal charge, your drivers license will be suspended. If you are behind on child support that you owe, your license will be suspended. And even though Florida lacks any reasonable public transit system, it will still be a crime for you to operate a motor vehicle under those circumstances. Don’t let this unfair system land you behind bars. Instead, retain a dedicated Clearwater criminal defense lawyer to build your defense.

There are many criminal offenses prohibited in the State that make perfect sense to the average person. Murder and sex offenses cause great pain and suffering to victims and their families. Punishments for offenses like those are often harsh yet justifiable and ethical. Drug crimes are growing more controversial. The war on drugs has resulted in a sharp increase in arrests and penalties for nonviolent drug crimes. There is some justification behind drug offenses as drug sales and commerce is undoubtedly a cause of violence in the community.

There are some criminal offenses however that make little logical sense and require some other explanation to justify their existence. One of the most blatant examples of this type of offense is operating a motor vehicle without a license. Now, it is true that there exists a public desire for those who are operating vehicles on our State’s roads to be properly trained and licensed. However, it is also important to realize that a vast majority of people driving without licenses do so because their license was taken away by some operation of law and not because they are unsafe drivers. When one comes to this realization, it is easy to also realize the ridiculousness that operating without a valid license is a criminal offense. If you have been charged with driving without a license, don’t assume you don’t need a lawyer. Call a skilled Clearwater criminal defense attorney today to handle your charges and help you regain your license.

The lawyers at Hanlon Law have the dedication and experience to deal with even the most serious criminal charges. However, when you are dealing with relatively minor offenses, you still need a lawyer who will treat your case as if it were more serious than it actually is. This aggressive approach leads to excellent results for our clients. We seek plea agreements and deals for our clients only as a last resort and instead focus on achieving dismissals or not guilty verdicts at trial. If you’d like to consider us to represent you, call us today for a consultation at 727-897-5413.