If you were recently arrested for a traffic-related offense, the fact that you might lose your license is probably not at the forefront of your mind. You may be more concerned about the criminal consequences than the administrative consequences at the moment, which is understandable. However, the administrative side of your case deserves your attention as well. If you don’t fight for your license after being arrested for a traffic offense, you may lose it either temporarily or permanently.
In Colorado, you can lose your driving privileges for a number of reasons. How long you lose your license depends on the offense, your driving record, your criminal record, and sometimes your profession.
Why might your license be taken away from you?
The Colorado Department of Revenue has a long list of reasons why you might lose your license. A few of those reasons include:
- Aggravated car theft
- DUI
- Driving with a suspended or revoked license
- Frequent traffic offender
- Failure to pay citations
- Failure to attend court or administrative hearings
- Too many points on your record
In other words, you can lose your license for just about anything traffic or criminal-related, even if the offense seems to be a minor one.
How long might you lose your license?
How long the state decides to suspend or revoke your license depends on the offense. Generally speaking, your license may be suspended or revoked for as little as 60 days up to five years. For most offenses, a one-year suspension seems to be the standard. Of course, the state may decide to permanently cancel your license.
Always choose to fight
Most people depend on having their license for personal and professional reasons, and you likely do too. So, if your license is on the line, you may want to choose to fight. Know that you only have so much time to address the situation. In Colorado, you have seven days from the date your offense occurred to schedule an administrative hearing. That is not a lot of time to prepare yourself and your defense.
Thankfully, you do not have to attend your administrative hearing alone. Despite what others might tell you, you have the right to have legal counsel at your side. With the right help in your corner, you may walk away with your license restored or with a minimal suspension length.