A person who has accumulated certain convictions may be considered a habitual traffic offender. If this determination is made, a person faces losing his or her driver’s license for five years. Sometimes notification of this determination comes as a complete surprise because the criminal defense attorney in Broward County who represented the defendant in a previous case failed to warn him or her about this possibility. If a person has not yet accumulated enough convictions to be considered for this status, it is important that he or she contact a criminal defense attorney in Broward County familiar with these laws.

How Many Convictions Must I Acquire Before I Am Considered a Habitual Traffic Offender? 

A person may be considered a habitual offender if he or she has accumulated the following convictions that are reflected in his or her driving record maintained by the Florida DMV:

• Three convictions for DUI
• Three convictions for driving while your license is suspended
• Three convictions of other serious driving offenses
• 15 convictions for moving violations that imposed points within a five-year period

Can I Get a Hardship License? 

For the first year, you are not eligible to apply for a hardship license. After this point, you can apply for a hardship license through the Administrative Review Office for limited-purpose driving, such as getting to and from school or school. This usually requires that you first complete a driving program.

What Happens if I am Arrested while on HTO Status? 

In some cases, this can cause you to be convicted of a felony offense which can result in significant jail time and a large fine.

Individuals who may be affected by this law may consider talking to a criminal defense attorney. In some cases, a lawyer can fight to vacate a judgment on a prior conviction so that the driver does not have the necessary valid convictions to support revocation. Alternatively, he or she may be able to appeal the revocation.