Ohio Dus Penalties

Ohio Driving Under Suspension Penalties

Contact Weisenburger Law Offices in Ravenna and Stow if your license has been suspended. Driving under suspension penalties can be severe in Ohio. Call now.

Penalties For Driving Under Suspension (DUS)

Ohio has changed the law on Driving Under Suspension multiple times in the recent past. The first change separated the DUS law into several different sections with different penalties. The most recent change took place because of jail overcrowding and the fact that many judges were sentencing DUS offenders to stiff jail sentences.

Most Driving Under Suspension offenses is still First Degree Misdemeanors carrying up to six months in jail. However, some now carry the potential for a whopping 500 hours of Community Work Service instead.

Driving Under Suspension Law (DUS) & Mandatory Penalties

Penalties for Driving Under Suspension include jail time, fines, vehicle immobilization or forfeiture, impoundment of license plates, community work service, and additional suspension time. Most DUS charges carry some form of mandatory penalty, depending on which DUS law applies to your case. This often includes jail.

Determining Your Specific Driving Under Suspension Penalty (DUS)

The easiest way to determine the penalty range associated with your particular DUS charge is to look at the traffic ticket. It will have an Ohio Revised Code section number near the middle of the ticket. This should be a number in the 4500 range, with four digits preceding the decimal point, such as Ohio Revised Code section 4511.10 or something close to that (unless you are charged with a municipal ordinance violation instead.)

See a detailed chart on Ohio DUS Penalties by Judge Jennifer P. Weiler, from Garfield Heights Municipal Court. You can plug in your O.R.C. number and see the exact penalty range, including any mandatory DUS provision that would apply.

Misconception About Driving Under Suspension (DUS)

Often people are pulled over and are unaware that their driver’s license is suspended. Ohio DUS law does not require that you be personally notified when your driver’s license is suspended. It merely requires mailing a notice to the last known address you supplied to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. When a person changes addresses, Ohio law requires that they notify the Ohio BMV.

Despite public perception, police officers can, under certain circumstances, pull you over for no other reason than the fact that you are under suspension. A skilled criminal defense lawyer can help you determine whether or not the traffic stop in your DUS case was illegal.

Limited Driving Privileges In Driving Under Suspension Cases (DUS)

Limited driving privileges may or may not be granted in your DUS charge. It will depend on the nature of the offense, prior offenses, the court you are in, and the judge assigned to your case. It is almost always helpful to retain a criminal defense attorney to assist you with DUS problems.

Disclaimer

The ohiocrimelawyer.com website is designed for general information only. Any information on this site is not to be construed as formal legal advice from a criminal defense lawyer, a DUI lawyer, a family law lawyer or estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate lawyer, nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Persons accessing this site are encouraged to seek personal advice regarding their individual legal issues.

The attorneys in our law firm primarily service Portage County courts (Ravenna and Kent) from our office in Ravenna, and Summit County courts (Akron, Stow, Barberton) from our office in Stow. Cases in all other courts in North East Ohio, such as Cuyahoga County courts, are handled under specific terms and conditions.