The practical difference between a driver’s license suspension and revocation is that reinstating a suspended license is a little easier. This is because people with revoked licenses have to apply for an entirely new license. People with suspended licenses can get their old licenses back. But both processes require paperwork and a trip to the Nevada DMV.
Otherwise, a driver’s license suspension is very similar to a revocation. The DMV allows people to contest a license suspension or revocation at a DMV hearing (an administrative trial). It is a misdemeanor to drive during the suspension or revocation period. The penalties for driving on a suspended or revoked license include up to 6 months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines.
Suspensions
Most driver’s license suspensions occur when the driver accumulates 12 or more demerit points. This suspension period lasts six (6) months.
The DMV tacks on demerit points to a person’s license whenever he/she gets convicted of a moving violation. A sampling of the Nevada DMV’s demerit point penalties include:
| Nevada Moving Violation | Nevada DMV Demerit Points |
| speeding 1 – 10 mph | 1 |
| speeding 11 – 20 mph | 2 |
| speeding 21 – 30 mph | 3 |
| speeding 31 – 40 mph | 4 |
| speeding 41 mph | 5 |
| texting while driving | 4 |
| disobeying an officer | 4 |
| running a stop sign | 4 |
| failure to give information or render aid at the scene of an accident (see our hit and run article) | 6 |
| reckless driving | 8 |
Demerit points stay on a person’s license for one (1) year before disappearing.
Revocations
Most driver’s license revocations occur when the driver is convicted of a DUI. The length of the revocation period increases with each successive DUI:
- A first-time DUI revocation lasts 185 days
- A second-time DUI revocation lasts 1 year
- a third-time DUI revocation lasts 3 years
Then when the driver gets a new license, he/she usually has to install a breath interlock device in his/her car for several months as a condition of keeping the license.
Reinstating the License
The process of reinstating a suspended or revoked license varies depending on the circumstances of the case. For instance, DUI defendants have to secure SR-22 insurance to get a new license. For instructions on how to reinstate a license, contact the Nevada DMV at either:
| Las Vegas | (702) 486-4368 option 1 |
| Reno/Carson City | (775) 684-4368 option 1 |
| Rural Nevada (Toll Free) | (877) 368-7828 option 1 |
Note that if more than a year has gone by since the defendant lost his/her license, the DMV may require that the person take a vision, written and/or driving test.
See our related article, How do I reinstate a revoked license in Nevada?
