Published September 29, 2017 by Rebecca Wade

In this week’s FAQ Friday, Rebecca Wade, partner at Wade Grimes Friedman Meinken & Leischner, discusses the laws surrounding what happens if your license is suspended for a drug possession in Virginia if you are licensed out of state.

Does Virginia suspend licenses for drug charges?

Virginia is one of the very few states that automatically suspends licenses for drug charges. However, not all states hold that same provision. If you are pulled over in Virginia for a drug charge, the court will suspend your license in Virginia, but that does not necessarily mean the license is suspended in your home state. If the license is suspended in Virginia but not in the home state, you can drive in your home state but cannot drive in Virginia without risking being charged with driving on a suspended license.

If your license is suspended in Virginia for a drug charge, it’s imperative that before you drive, you verify that you are a valid drive both by the state that issued your license and by Virginia. You can do this by going to the DMV and asking them to run a compliance summary to make sure you are eligible to drive.

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