When your licence has been cancelled due to traffic offences, you will be required to go back to court to ask the Magistrate to return your licence. This should be done a month before the licence cancellation ends. If you want to keep your licence or have these punishment periods reduced, contact Vanessa Ash to see what can be done about your case.
This does not apply if you were caught drink driving after 30 September 2014, this was your first offence, you are on your full licence, and your BAC was less than 0.10. In that case, you simply go to VicRoads and apply for a new licence.
Costs
VicRoads fees depend on the current cost of a new physical licence, and the Magistrate’s fee is about $100 for a hearing. You cannot apply for a discount to this fee. Outstanding fines must also be paid.
If you lost your licence due to drink driving
You may also need to do a driver education course, which will cost you more money. Typically there are two group sessions. You should call them as soon as you lose your licence to see what their process is, so that once your cancellation period is over, you can get your licence back as soon as possible. This may involve the agency writing a report on your progress and alcohol or drug use.
You may need to prove to the Magistrate that you are going to be a safe driver, and you understand the impact of alcohol on your body and how dangerous drink-driving is. The judge may ask you questions about your drinking/drug habits and give you a pop quiz on booze and blood alcohol levels/drug use. These answers need to match what you told police earlier that day/week.
What the Magistrate can decide to do
You may end up with a licence eligibility order (you get your licence back), get the licence eligibility order but with an interlock device, or not make any licence eligibility order at all. Your BAC will help to determine what the Magistrate is forced to do, due to changes to mandatory minimum penalties.
If the Magistrate doesn’t offer you one of the above two options, you have other options. It can pay to speak to a lawyer before undertaking any of these activities, including appealing the decision. The Magistrate denied your request for a reason, and if you can find what those reasons are and overcome them, you may get your licence back.
Eligible drivers can apply to get their licence back from VicRoads directly if their offence was after 30 September 2014, however VicRoads is only able to offer interlock-dependent licences that last for six months. If VicRoads refuses the licence, you must go back to the Magistrate.
Get your licence back. Call Vanessa Ash and Associates today.