Driving on a Suspended License

Driving on a Suspended License – class 1 misdemeanor - A.R.S. § 28-3473

If you are convicted of driving on a suspended license and you reinstate your driver's license prior to the conviction being assessed onto your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR), MVD will issue a one-year restricted driver's license. A restricted driver's license allows you to drive to/from: home/work/school/seeking medical help for yourself/serving jail time/attending screening and/or substance abuse classes/going to appointments with your probation officer/going to a certified ignition interlock device facility and NO place else. If stopped for driving any place else not listed above, you will be charged with a driving on a suspended license. However, if you are convicted of driving on a suspended license and you wait for the conviction to appear on your MVR, then reinstate your driver's license, your driver's license will not be restricted by MVD.

If your driver's license has been suspended in the past for a prior violation and you have satisfied all Court orders (ex: paid all fines, served all jail time, completed all classes and/or community service) and satisfied all suspension periods ordered for any reason other than driving on a suspended license under A.R.S. § 28-3473, you may go to MVD, pay the required reinstatement fees, and obtain a restricted driver's license for one-year. At the end of the one-year restricted driver's license, if you have no other suspension convictions or orders, you may return to MVD to obtain a clean driver's license with no restrictions.

The above applies only to a suspended driver's license, not to a revoked driver's license. If your driver's license is revoked for any reason, you must serve the revocation period and be ticket free for 12-months before submitting a Revocation Investigation package to regain your driver's license.

BELOW IS THE NEW STATUTE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2011

28-3473. Driving violations; classification; restricted privilege to drive

A. A person who drives a motor vehicle on a public highway when the person's privilege to drive a motor vehicle is suspended, revoked, canceled or refused or when the person is disqualified from driving is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.

B. Except for a suspension pursuant to section 28-1601 or 28-3308, on receipt of a record of the conviction of a person under this section, the department shall notify a person who is eligible for a restricted privilege to drive pursuant to this section that the person is eligible. The department shall issue a license that restricts the person's privilege to drive as follows:

1. Between the person's place of employment and residence during specified periods of time while at employment.
2. Between the person's place of residence, the person's place of employment and the person's secondary or postsecondary school according to the person's employment or educational schedule.
3. Between the person's place of residence and a screening, education or treatment facility for scheduled appointments.
4. Between the person's place of residence and the office of the person's probation officer for scheduled appointments.
5. Between the person's place of residence and the office of a physician or other health care professional.
6. Between the person's place of residence and a certified ignition interlock device service facility.

C. On application, the department shall issue a driver license that restricts a person's privilege to drive pursuant to subsection B of this section and that is valid for one year only if all of the following apply:

1. The person has completed all requirements of the sentence imposed by the court.
2. The person has satisfied all suspension periods imposed on the person's driver license as a result of the conviction of or a finding of responsibility for a violation of any provision of this title except this section.
3. The person pays the applicable reinstatement fee prescribed by section 28-3002.