Getting behind the wheel without a driver's license on hand is not a good idea. If you’re licensed to drive, though, and you forgot got driver’s license, you will be penalized. Having a picture or photocopy on hand might help things out. Let’s find out how.
First, let’s outline the main point − every person operating a motor vehicle must carry a valid license while driving. The absence of a license or vehicle registration when operating a vehicle on a public road is illegal in every state. There are exceptions for military personnel, paving equipment operators, and farm equipment operators. For the rest, the related rules and regulations will likely vary from state to state.
The mildest and the most common case is when you forget your driver's license at home. Then the officers could verify the information with the state’s DMV database. The database also shows the name of the person who owns the car you are driving, whether it is wanted, and whether the driver has any administrative penalties.
In some states, police can accept a digital license but not a photo. But what is the difference between a digital license and a picture? A digital version can be flipped on the screen, and when you move the phone around, the hologram works the way it would on the physical one. The roads department has a unique application for this. Note that in several states, it is allowed to show a digital image of your insurance documents on a smartphone but not a digital image of a driver’s license.
If it turns out that you haven’t just forgotten to take your driver’s license, but it is not available at all, then the penalties will be much stricter. It all depends on the circumstances.
For example, there are the so-called Correctable Offenses. It means that simply forgetting to carry your driver's license while driving a vehicle may lead to a “fix-it ticket.” Fix-it tickets can be issued for a range of violations, depending on where you live. For example, California considers expired licenses and registrations to be correctable violations, while Utah does not.
In the case of showing a copy of your driver’s license to a police officer, to have this citation dismissed by the traffic court, you must later show proof that you fixed the violation. Failure to present this evidence leads to fines or other penalties.
It depends on whether it has been revoked temporarily or permanently. A group of penalties called Willful Violations includes driving on a suspended or revoked license. Penalties for those are much more serious. When a driver willfully drives with a suspended or revoked driver's license, they may be cited, arrested, and charged with a misdemeanor offense.
Another violation category is when the license has never existed, is damaged (the driver’s picture is faded, or the text is illegible), has expired, or contains an old (different) name.
If the car owner gives it to a person without a driver's license, the former will have to pay a fine. In addition, such a vehicle is likely to be detained and towed to an impound lot.
The fines for Failure to have a Driver’s License, Proof Of Insurance, or Registration in possession during vehicle operation differ from state to state. In Florida, your fine will be reduced to a modest $10.00 if you provide a copy of the item (Insurance, License, or Registration) showing the item was valid on the date the citation was issued. In the case of a citation similar to a fix-it ticket, the judge will generally dismiss the ticket altogether for drivers who present a then-valid license in court.
To conclude, traffic police won’t accept a picture as proof of a valid driver’s license, so remember to always carry the corresponding documents when driving a vehicle. In some situations, a scan might help to find information about you, but you will still get a fix-it ticket or a fine.
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