TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Nearly 1.4 million Floridians had their driver's license suspended last year. The vast majority of the suspensions were for failing to pay a fine, and lawmakers said the system creates a vicious cycle from which some people never recover.
Every day, on just about every police blotter in Florida, someone is charged with driving without a valid license.
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"A suspension fee would be $60 to reinstate," said Maureen Johnson, of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
The licenses of more than 1 million Floridians were suspended last year simply for not paying a fine. More than 300,000 of those people still haven't paid, and they remain unable to legally drive.
Leon County Judge Gus Aikens calls it a vicious cycle.
"You couldn't pay the cost and fines," Aikens said. "There is no business purpose only license or employment purpose only license for people who fail to pay. So they are just locked out in terms of their ability to drive."
By the time someone caught driving on a suspended license gets through the court process, they owe $300 or more in court fees, including another $100 or so that it will also cost them to get their driver's license back.
Federal law requires a license to be suspended for drug convictions and for failing to pay child support.
"How in the world are these people supposed to pay child support if they can't get to work? And why are we tacking on more and more fees?" asked Sen. Jeff Brandes.
The Senate Transportation Committee has made the fines and resulting suspensions its number one topic for the coming legislative session.
"It just makes it harder for them to pay off their child support and to make good on their obligations," Brandes said.
One of the problems facing lawmakers is that the ticket fines go directly to court funding.
In some areas of the state, people who can't pay their traffic tickets and fines are allowed to substitute community service hours, but policies vary from county to county.