If Your Driver’s License is Suspended in Missouri, It’s Suspended in All States

If your driver’s license is suspended or revoked in Missouri, then it’s also suspended or revoked in all other states because states share information about traffic convictions. Until the “hold” on your driver’s license is removed, no other state will give you a driver’s license.

You May be Able to Get a Colorado Driver’s License Even if You’re Suspended in Another State

Colorado appears to be an exception, but in order to obtain a Colorado driver’s license, you must establish residency in Colorado for at least 90 days, which is no small task, and there will be a court hearing, as well. If you are willing to move to Colorado and establish residency, then you should contact a Colorado attorney (prior to moving there) to determine the likelihood of success and to find out what other hoops you may have to jump through in order to obtain a Colorado driver’s license.

Keep in mind that, even if you obtain a Colorado driver’s license, your driving privileges will still be suspended in all other states until the period of suspension or revocation is completed.

How to Get a Hardship License if You Have a 10-Year Denial of Driving Privileges in Missouri

If you have a 10-year denial of your driving privileges in Missouri because of DWI or DUI convictions, you may be eligible for a Limited Driving Privilege (“Hardship License”), if you have not been convicted of any drug- or alcohol-related offenses in the previous 3 years and you can show that you no longer pose a threat to public safety. Go to this page of the Missouri Department of Revenue website for information regarding the Limited Driving Privilege. The applicable statute is RSMo. Section 302.309.3(6)(A). A petition for a Limited Driving Privilege must be filed in the Circuit Court in the county where your last DWI or DUI conviction occurred, and there will be a court hearing.

How Do Other States Know That Your Missouri Driver’s License is Suspended?

When your license is suspended, the state of Missouri reports that suspension to the National Driver Register, also known as the Problem Driver Pointer System. The National Driver Register is a computerized database of information about drivers who have had their licenses revoked or suspended, or who have been convicted of serious traffic violations such as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. If you move to another state and apply for a driver’s license, that state will check the National Driver Register prior to granting you a license to determine if your license is suspended or revoked. If your license is suspended or revoked in another state, your new home state will not give you a driver’s license. (Except, perhaps, Colorado, if you have established residency. But, as noted above, you should consult a lawyer licensed in Colorado regarding obtaining a Colorado driver’s license when your license has been suspended by another state.)

In addition to sharing information about driver’s license suspensions and drug- or alcohol-related offenses, states also share information about regular speeding tickets and other traffic violations. So, a speeding ticket that you receive out-of-state will be reported to your home state of Missouri and will appear on your Missouri driving record, just the same as if you received that ticket in Missouri. See my previous blog post about why out-of-state traffic ticket convictions appear on your driving record in your home state of Missouri.

For more information about traffic tickets, points, and Missouri courts, see the Traffic Law Resources page on my website.