Hundreds of people in Atlanta and Fulton County are arrested for driving while their license is suspended or revoked every year. Despite a first offense being considered a misdemeanor, a conviction can lead to hundreds of dollars in fines and between two days and 12 months in jail.
“As always and you see this historically, far and beyond, that number one arrest is always driving with suspended and revoked licenses,” City Solicitor Raines F. Carter told the Atlanta City Council Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee during his third-quarter report.
In the first half of 2025, there were 177 people booked into Fulton County Jail where “driving while license suspended or revoked” was listed as one of the arresting charges, according to data acquired by Capital B Atlanta through an open records request.
That number, however, reflects only those who were facing an additional felony charge at the time of their arrest. Anyone arrested exclusively for misdemeanor and ordinance violations is booked by the city’s Department of Corrections into the Atlanta City Detention Center.
Between January and June of this year, 757 people were arrested and charged at the detention center with driving while their license is suspended or revoked.
Read More: Atlanta Police Asked for A Diversion Option for Low-Level Arrests. They Rarely Use It.
One of the most common reasons a license can be suspended is for missing a traffic court appearance. Notices for traffic court are exclusively sent by mail and are frequently missed or received too late.
The state Department of Driver Services also uses mail to notify someone when their license has been suspended or revoked. Carter reported that people often have no idea until they are under arrest.
Most Atlantans drive as a primary mode of transportation, and according to the Atlanta Regional Commission, 76% of commuters drive alone to work.
Capital B Atlanta has created this explainer for you to learn how to check your driver’s license status and provided steps you can take to get your license reinstated if you find out it has been suspended.
How can I find out if my license is suspended?
The easiest way is to use the Georgia Department of Driver Service’s online portal.
Once you create an account, this is where you can check to see if your license has been suspended or revoked. You can also pay any outstanding fees, submit an address change to make sure you don’t miss any more notices in the mail, and renew an expired license.
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With an account, you can also opt in to receive email notifications when it is time to renew your license.
My license is suspended, now what?
Last year, the state legislature passed House Bill 926 to streamline the process of reinstating suspended driver’s licenses.
If your license was suspended because of a missed court date, once you have scheduled a new hearing date, the municipal court must forward your driver’s license number to the Department of Driver Services to have it reinstated.
This automatic reinstatement does not apply for certain serious traffic violations like reckless driving or drag racing.
However, if you reach out to the court to schedule a new hearing date and are told to appear for a walk-in hearing, your license may not be reinstated until you appear in court.
How much will it cost?
The license reinstatement fee is $90-$100, but you can ask the court to waive the cost and explain why you can’t afford to pay it. The decision is up to the court, but if the fee isn’t waived, you can submit a pauper’s affidavit to the Department of Driver Services to determine if you qualify to have your fee waived.
Do I have to pay a fee before I can reschedule my court date?
No. Under HB 926, the court can no longer require you to pay a fee to get a new court date.
Are there any pro bono lawyers who work on license issues?
Yes, the Georgia Justice Project is a nonprofit law firm that helps with traffic court and suspended licenses. Emily Spears, a staff attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow, can be reached by phone at (404) 827-0027, ext. 202, or by email at ESpears@GJP.org
The post How To Find Out If Your Driver’s License Has Been Suspended in Atlanta appeared first on Capital B News – Atlanta.