Will I lose my driver’s license due to drug charge?

On Behalf of Stanton D. Levenson, P.A. Law Offices

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Jul 10, 2019

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Drug Crimes

It may seem silly to think that you could lose your driving privileges for a crime you did not commit behind the wheel, but that has been the case in Pennsylvania for a long time. As if it is not bad enough that you now have a criminal record, this conviction could knock you down even further by removing your ability to drive legally. This could impact you in many ways, but especially by making it difficult to get to work and make a living. Luckily, the York Daily Record reports that this practice of license suspension is coming to an end in the state.

The law has required a mandatory suspension for a conviction of a drug crime. However, opponents to this law made a very good case that it was hurting people more than helping, especially minorities. If a crime is not committed when driving or has anything to do with driving, suspending the license seems to make no sense. Legislatures agreed. They created a new bill to get rid of the automatic suspension.

The origins of this bill come from the federal government. Congress made laws that stripped states of funding if they did not create a law for automatic driver’s license suspension upon conviction of a drug offense. States did not want to lose money, so they implemented the laws. However, that was in the 1990s, and since then, most states have removed the laws. This information is for education only. It is not given as legal advice.