Will I get a violation for driving without a driver's license? 16 Answers as of December 12, 2011

Yes. You will be charged with Vehicle Code 14601.1 and a probation violation. These are misdemeanor charges.

You could be facing a probation violation based on a 12500 CVC violation.

Yes. This is a misdemeanor and would be a violation of your probation. Why can't you get a license? You need an attorney to help minimize this.

On your probation it states obey all laws. This includes driving without a drivers license. If you show up at your probation violation hearing with a valid license you should be OK.

You could get a violation but probably the court would just reinstate probation. If you get license before you go to court they might reduce the charge to an infraction or maybe even dismiss it.

Yes, you may. I suggest getting a license before your next court appearance. It might help a little.

Possibly. It depends on the specific terms of your informal probation (felony? Misdemeanor?), and the nature of the license violation. If it is an infraction (fine only), you won't be violated. If it is a misdemeanor (jail possible plus fine), then there's a risk that you can be violated. Consult with a criminal defense attorney who can look at the details of your situation and give you more specific advice.

Not necessarily. First, the Court that you are on probation with must learn of the new case, and then must consider the charge serious enough to file a Probation Violation against you. Courts in different counties might not communicate with each other, and you may escape a violation hearing. Also, don't lose hope that you may be able to get out of the "no driver;s license" (CVC 12500) charge by making a deal with the D.A. to get a California Driver's license and then come back show it to the Court and get the 12500 dismissed. I've done this for many, many clients. Get a good lawyer, and gett this handled!!

You've got to understand your status in the legal system at the time you received the driving w/o a license citation. You were on informal probation, so your rights were curtailed and less probable cause was required by the government to intrude on your liberty. During this phase any slip-up is magnified. You're expected to stay completely out of trouble. This is not a good thing that's happened, but it doesn't mean you cannot do anything to improve your situation. first thing: get a license. Now. Today. Have it when you go to court and ask for the charge to be reduce to an infraction. This will reduce the impact the incident will have on your status.

Normally, Driving Without a License, CVC 12500, can be either a Misdemeaor or Infraction. However, the police always cite it as a Misdemeanor. Thereafter, the District Attorney will then file a Misdemeanor Complaint and a Probation Violation charge. Additionally, Normally a mere infraction will not cause a Probation Violation, but a Misdemeanor will. In previously cases, such as yours, I have had the court revoke your probation and reinstate the probation without further jail time. You need to hire an experienced defense attorney.