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Georgia driving lesson · Losing Your Driving Privileges

Habitual violators and limited permits

A 4-minute lesson from the Georgia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Losing Your Driving Privileges
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
49, 50

Repeat serious offenders can be declared Habitual Violators and lose their license. On the other side, some suspended drivers may qualify for a limited driving permit to get to work, school or medical care.

Habitual Violator: 3rd conviction within 5 years of any combination of:

  • Driving under the influence (DUI)
  • Homicide, feticide or serious injury by vehicle
  • Hit and run or leaving the scene of a crash
  • Racing, or reckless stunt driving
  • Fleeing or attempting to elude an officer
  • Driving with a suspended, canceled or revoked registration
  • Any felony committed using a motor vehicle
Handbook p. 49 ↗

Know the rule

A Habitual Violator's license is revoked. They may be eligible for a probationary license after serving two years of the revocation.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
$32

Fee for a limited driving permit during a suspension

Handbook p. 49 ↗

A limited permit lets you drive only to:

  • Your place of employment
  • Scheduled medical care, or to get prescribed drugs
  • Classes at a college or school where you're enrolled
  • Support group meetings for alcohol or drug treatment
  • A driver education program, or alcohol/drug assessment and treatment
  • Court, a probation office, or community service
  • Take unlicensed immediate family to work, medical care, prescriptions and school
Handbook p. 49 ↗

Know the rule

DDS may also restrict places, routes, times and vehicles. Limited permits are not valid for driving a commercial vehicle.

Handbook p. 49 ↗

Know the rule

A conviction for a moving violation, or for breaking the permit's conditions, revokes the permit and extends the underlying suspension by 6 more months.

Handbook p. 49 ↗

No limited permit for:

  • Implied consent refusal (unless no prior DUI in the past 5 years)
  • No insurance, or driving while suspended
  • Failure to pay the Super Speeder fee or child support
  • Failure to appear in court or respond to a citation
  • Medical revocation, safety responsibility, or parent-requested revocation
  • DUI drugs, DUI convictions before age 21, or refusal to weigh (CMV)
Handbook p. 49 ↗

A limited permit may be available for, among others:

  • A 1st DUI (non-drugs), or a 2nd DUI conviction in 5 years
  • A 1st or 2nd suspension for 15 or more points in 24 months
  • Under-21 speeding 24-33 mph over, only if 18 or older and the sentencing judge approves
  • Age 21+: 2nd-degree vehicular homicide, fleeing, hit and run, racing, felony with a vehicle
  • Age 21+: a 3rd controlled substance violation after a 2-year suspension
Handbook p. 50 ↗

Know the rule

In all cases, DDS makes the final decision on limited permit eligibility.

Handbook p. 50 ↗

Put it into practice

Your license is suspended for 16 points in 24 months, your first points suspension. You may apply for a $32 limited permit to drive to work and school, but a new traffic conviction would revoke it and add 6 months to your suspension.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

After how many convictions of certain major offenses within 5 years is a driver declared a Habitual Violator?
  1. 3 convictions
  2. 2 convictions
  3. 4 convictions
  4. 5 convictions

Answer: 3 convictions

A driver is declared a Habitual Violator based on a third conviction of certain listed offenses within 5 years.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
After serving how much of the revocation period can a Habitual Violator apply for a Probationary License?
  1. 6 months
  2. 1 year
  3. 2 years
  4. 3 years

Answer: 2 years

A Habitual Violator may be eligible for a Probationary License after serving two years of the revocation period.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
Which of the following purposes is a limited driving permit valid for?
  1. Driving to your place of employment
  2. Driving to visit friends or family for social events
  3. Driving anywhere within the state without restriction
  4. Driving for recreational road trips

Answer: Driving to your place of employment

A limited driving permit allows driving only for specific purposes, including travel to your place of employment.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
For what fee is a limited driving permit generally available during a suspension?
  1. $32
  2. $100
  3. $10
  4. $50

Answer: $32

A limited driving permit may be available for a fee of $32 during the suspension period.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
Which of the following disqualifies a driver from obtaining a limited driving permit?
  1. A first suspension for accumulating 15+ points
  2. A first DUI conviction not involving drugs
  3. A second DUI conviction within 5 years
  4. A no-insurance conviction

Answer: A no-insurance conviction

Limited driving permits are not available for no-insurance convictions, unlike some first/second DUI situations which may qualify.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
What happens if a limited driving permit holder is convicted of violating one of its conditions?
  1. It's revoked, and the suspension is extended 6 months
  2. It's suspended for 30 days, then restored
  3. Only a warning is issued for a first violation
  4. It's revoked, and the suspension is extended 12 months

Answer: It's revoked, and the suspension is extended 6 months

A violation of the permit's conditions results in revocation of the permit and a 6-month extension of the underlying suspension.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
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