Drive Disqualified / Suspended or Unlicensed

It is an offence to drive a motor vehicle whilst unlicensed, or with a licence that is suspended or disqualified. The disqualification may have been imposed by the police as a result of a drink or drug driving, driving at an excessive speed, by the court as part of a penalty, or even as a result of having incurred too many demerit points.

Penalties differ depending on what you have been charged with and previous offences. The choice to plead guilty can come with severe ramifications, so we recommend seeking advice from our expert lawyers as soon as you can.

• **Disqualified licence / suspended licence** South Australian law states that even first-time offenders must ordinarily be sentenced to a period of imprisonment under this offence. As such, it is vital to seek legal advice. For a first offence, the maximum penalty is 6 months of imprisonment and for a subsequent offence, the maximum penalty is 2 years of imprisonment.
• Unlicensed

Maximum penalties for driving unlicensed vary depending on prior convictions and if you’ve ever held a driver’s licence. If you have never held a licence and have committed this offence previously, you will be given a maximum fine of $2500. If you have committed this offence previously, or have not renewed your licence following a drink driving conviction, the maximum penalty is a $5000 fine or 1-year imprisonmen t. You will also have your driver’s licence disqualified for a minimum of 3 years.