What If You Get Caught Driving With An Expired License?

Below are some of the penalties that you could face:

• Ticket fines up to $250
• Points added to your driving license
• Increased car insurance premiums
• Arrest
• Impoundment of the vehicle

Keep in mind that driving with an expired license is illegal. What’s more, you cannot turn to your insurance company to help. If your driver’s license has expired, you are legally “unauthorized” to be driving a motor vehicle. If you get into an accident, your insurance company can deny car insurance with an expired license. As your insurance coverage may not apply, you could be liable for damages to other people and their vehicles.

While driving with an expired license is illegal, you may still be covered by car insurance, depending on your insurance provider and state laws. Different car insurance companies allow different grace periods- that is the period for which you will be covered while driving with an expired license. However, such coverage is not guaranteed, so drivers with an expired license should be prepared to pay out of pocket if found liable in at-fault accidents.

There are several reasons why you are required to renew your driver’s license, including:

• To take an eye test to prove you can see clearly enough to drive
• Your State's DMV needs to update its records with your most recent photo, address, and other information
• To prevent fraud in the case your license gets stolen or lost

Every state has different deadlines for renewing a driver’s license. New York drivers can renew their license within two years from when the current one expires. Check the DMV website for the state where your live or the state where you plan to relocate to learn about the deadlines. If you fail to keep up with the deadline, you will have to apply for a new license from scratch and give all the tests (vision, road, written, etc.) again.

Check out these links to learn how to renew your driving license in NYS and Pennsylvania.