Florida Drivers License Check: Understanding the Recent Developments

In recent years, Florida has been issuing millions of suspension notices every year. However, many of these suspensions are not related to highway safety or even driving offenses. In fact, a significant number of these suspensions are issued for nonpayment of fees, fines, and court costs related to municipal ordinance violations.

If you believe your driver's license should have been lifted, but it is not showing up as having been lifted, please contact Southern Legal Counsel through our Request Assistance form. Our organizations, Southern Legal Counsel and the ACLU of Florida, have filed a lawsuit in Sarasota County seeking to stop additional suspensions from being issued.

A few counties, including Escambia, Lake, Manatee, Santa Rosa, and Sarasota, continue to issue these suspensions, while most counties in Florida have agreed to stop issuing license suspensions for failure to pay court fees and fines on ordinance violations cases.

In 2019, Anthony Cummings was found guilty of violating a local ordinance that prohibited sleeping outside. When he failed to pay the fines and fees, the clerk assessed court fees and fines, which led to his driver's license being suspended. However, in this case, the court held that his license should not have been suspended, because the Clerk of Court did not have the authority to do so for failure to pay fees associated with a municipal ordinance violation.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLDHSMV) has identified over 16,000 potentially improper driver's license suspensions. Our organizations are working to fix this issue and ensure that drivers are not unfairly punished for nonpayment of fines and fees.

If you believe you have a driver's license suspension that may have been lifted as a result of this case, check your Florida Driver's License Status online. Will help drivers learn if they had a suspension lifted as a result of the above.

It is important to note that suspending a driver's license for failure to pay fines and fees arising from a municipal or county ordinance violation is not lawful. The court also held that several criminal court fees and costs were not authorized in ordinance violation cases and ordered them be removed from the system.

In summary, Florida drivers should be aware of the recent developments regarding driver's license suspensions and take steps to check their status online if they believe it has been lifted. Our organizations are committed to ensuring that drivers are treated fairly and not unfairly punished for nonpayment of fines and fees.

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