Suspended License in Texas

Suspended License in Texas

Do you have a suspended license in Texas? If your Texas drivers license is suspended, and you are required to obtain an occupational driver’s license, you MAY NOT need an attorney to help you get one.

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The typical procedure follows:

1. Call the Justice of the Peace, county or district court where the individual lives or where the offense occurred. They will inform you whether you need an attorney to file the petition for you.

Travis County Justice of the Peace
Williamson County Justice of the Peace

2. You will also be required to purchase SR-22 insurance coverage and provide a copy of the certificate to the court. This form certifies that you have liability insurance and that your insurance company will notify the DPS if your coverage lapses. Obtain an SR22 Insurance quote here.

3. Present your petition to the appropriate court, asking the court to grant you an occupational license.

4. If your request is granted, a court order will be issued. The court order is not the occupational license. A court order is only the order which authorizes the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to issue the occupational license.

Once the court grants you permission you can legally drive for 30 days, while you are applying for an official occupational license card from DPS.

5. Contact the DPS – you can find information online at  www.dps.texas.gov

You will submit your court order to the DPS along with your SR-22 certificate, DPS form SR-37, a $10 license fee and, depending on the nature of the suspension, usually another $100 or $125 reinstatement fee.   DPS will then provide you with an occupational license card which you will use for the duration of the suspension.

What can you do with an Occupational License?

This “restricted” occupational license allows you to legally drive to fulfill your obligations for school, work and to perform essential household duties. The last category is fairly broad and can include activities such as taking your kids to school, grocery shopping, taking a household member to the doctor, and other things like that.

Helpful Hints:
If you try to obtain SR-22 coverage from your auto insurance company, it may raise your rates or even cancel your policy. Also, the high-risk surcharge will be applied to all drivers and vehicles on the policy. If that is a concern, please contact our agency, Austin Insurance Group.  We specialize in companies that  provide SR-22 coverage. We can suggest ways to split your policy so only the driver who needs the SR22 will be charged for it.

WARNING: If you buy an SR-22 from someone other than your existing auto insurance company, many attorney’s will tell you to “be sure to purchase an operator’s policy (ie: non-owner’s policy) to avoid triggering the automatic cancellation clause in your existing insurance.”  HOWEVER, if you own a vehicle, you are not “legally” eligible for a non-owner’s policy.  And if you take their advice and have two policies in force, one could cancel out the other in the event of an accident or claim. Some insurance companies will unethically sell you one, knowing you own a vehicle.  You might save a few dollars trying to beat the system, but in the event of a loss, it might cost you thousands, or hundreds of thousands. 

When you have a suspended license in Texas, we can provide Texas SR22 filings for all counties.  Contact one of our local agents in Austin, Cedar Park and Pflugerville or purchase online.  If you need a filing in another state, we can provide nationwide filings.  Serving Texans since 1994.