If You Get a Ticket in Georgia

Please note that your state and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regularly update these CDL requirements. Please visit the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) website and the FMCSA website for the most authoritative and up-to-date information regarding CDL requirements and processes.

If you are ticketed in Georgia, the fine and penalties you receive depend 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 the amount of fees you will pay depend 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 CDL Disqualifying Offenses

• 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 commercial motor vehicle (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:

• Operating under a driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting nonhazardous materials
• Operating under a driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials requiring placards, or while driving a vehicle designed to transport 16 or more passengers

UPDATE AS OF OCTOBER 29, 2018
Drivers who have had their commercial license privileges disqualified for life may, under 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.

Remember, the most important thing to remember when you receive a ticket is that you should never just pay the ticket or the court fees without first talking to a legal representative who understands trucking laws. While you want to maintain a clean driving record, unforeseen violations can happen. When they do, you need expert legal protection. Drivers Legal Plan, the Nation's Leading CDL Defense Law Firm, is ready to defend your rights and your career.