In Florida, an accused commits the criminal offense of No Valid Driver’s License when he or she operates a motor vehicle on a public highway without being licensed by an appropriate governmental authority. Fla. Stat. § 322.54.

No Valid Driver’s License is a second-degree misdemeanor, with penalties of up 60 days in jail or six month of probation and a $500 fine. Although the majority of cases do not result in jail sentences, one of the primary consequences of a ‘No Valid License’ conviction in Florida is that it creates a permanent criminal record.

The charge particularly impacts foreign nationals and illegal immigrants. In 2013, however, the Florida legislature enacted legislation that allows a non-resident foreign national to drive in Florida so long as they are in possession of a valid driver’s license from his or her home country. It thus is very important that a foreign national, when stopped by the police, show the stopping officer this license if they have one and ask the officer to notate on the citation that he or she presented a valid license from his or her home country.
When defending a No Valid license charge, we typically try to challenge the underlying basis for the traffic stop. If that is not an available strategy, we look for numerous other angles of attack such as the accused has a valid foreign license. If you are accused of No Valid Driver’s License, call Michael White today for a free consultation.