What is the difference between a suspended license and a revoked license?

A suspended license is better than a revoked license. A suspended license comes back on a certain date. So, you may be suspended for three months, a year or three years. If you wait till the end of that suspension and you do not get caught driving, you can go to the secretary of state and apply for a license.

According to iDriveSafely, there may be a requirement of you paying a reinstatement fee. For example, If your license is suspended because of a statutory summary suspension and it is your first one,  the reinstatement fee would be to $250. If it is a reinstatement fee for a second or subsequent DUI within a five-year period, the fee would be $500. If it is an insurance issue or a suspension because of too many traffic violations, the fee would be $70.

At the end of the suspension, you will need to pay the reinstatement fee or whatever is applicable. If you still have your driver’s license, the plastic itself, and it has not expired, you just start driving. If you pay the reinstatement fee and you never had a license or your license expired, you can go to the DMV and apply for a license. You may need to take the driving test and so forth.

For a revoked license, there is no waiting out. A revoked license means the Secretary of State has taken away your privilege to drive. You have to petition that and ask them to reinstate your privilege to drive. It does not end on a certain date like a suspended license.