If You Get A Ticket In Georgia
If you are ticketed in Georgia, the fine and penalties you receive depends on where the offense occurred and what type of violation it was.
If you hold your license in Georgia, you must inform your employer within 30 days of being convicted of a traffic citation, regardless if you were driving your personal or commercial vehicle at the time.
The level of restriction you will receive and amount of fees you will pay depends on the category of your offense. Offenses that are considered “major” will result in the loss of your license for one year. Offenses that are considered “serious” will result in a restriction of less than 60 days.
Major Offenses in the State of Georgia:
- Operating any vehicle – commercial or personal – with a BAC of 0.08% or higher
- Operating a commercial vehicle with a BAC of 0.04%
- Refusing a sobriety test
- Leaving the scene of an accident
- Commission of a felony with a vehicle
- Driving a CMV with a suspended, revoked, or canceled CDL
- Causing a fatality through negligent driving
Serious Offenses in the State of Georgia:
- Driving 15 MPH over the speed limit
- Driving recklessly
- Improper lane changing
- Following too closely
- Driving a CMV without having a CDL
- Driving a CMV without your CDL in your possession
- Driving a CMV without the proper endorsement
- Texting while driving
A second conviction of any of these violations within three years will result in the loss of your driving privileges for 60 days. A third conviction will result in the loss of your driving privileges for 120 days.
Out-Of-Service CDL Disqualifications
Commercial drivers convicted of either of the following offenses can lose their CDLs for 180 days to three years:
- A driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting nonhazardous materials
- A driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded, or while driving a vehicle designed to transport 16 passengers or more.
UPDATE AS OF OCTOBER 29, 2018
Drivers who have had their commercial license privileges disqualified for life may – in certain conditions – have the period reduced to 10 years. Effective November 5, 2018, drivers who have been disqualified from operating a commercial vehicle for life by the State of Georgia may be able to have their commercial driving privileges restored in certain circumstances.