What do Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan have in common, other than the fact that they could all use a good calorie-intensive meal? Each of them has been in hot water at one time or another for driving with a suspended license.
It is one thing to be a beautiful, rich, emaciated celebrity when you are caught driving illegally. You get your name in the paper more, your picture taken more and you get to hire a buff driver with cool shades to cart you around for a few months.
For the rest of us, getting caught driving with a suspended license means a painfully lighter wallet and the potential of getting reacquainted with the intimate workings of mass transportation.
If you drive without a license, or your license has been suspended or revoked, the first thing you will do is say goodbye to your beloved means of transportation for 30 calendar days.
To get the vehicle back at the end of those 30 days, the registered owner has to pony up the costs of towing and storage. Depending on the fees charged by the storage facility, the cost can be more than $1,000.
Add to that the $298 minimum fine for the offense that you will pay to the courts - and the fact that your insurance company will undoubtedly remove you from their preferred client list - and you will find that getting caught driving without a license is likely to put quite a dent in your rainy day fund.
If you happen to have a previous conviction for driving without a license, the state has the option of keeping your vehicle permanently.
But what if your bad-seed cousin Bob absconds with your car in the middle of the night without your knowledge? If cousin Bob is driving with a suspended, revoked or nonexistent license - there is no use trying to plead your case to the authorities. All the same consequences apply to the registered owner: The car will be towed and impounded, and a fine will be assessed.
Now if you and the officer aren't quite seeing eye to eye on the circumstances of the case, you do have the right to request a formal hearing. But be forewarned - the law is clear and does not distinguish whether it was you behind the wheel or your spouse, your child, a friend or a relative.
In the eyes of the law, the registered owner has a duty to ensure that the person driving his or her vehicle possesses a valid license.
There is, however, a way around facing all the consequences alone if you are the registered owner. Simply file a stolen-vehicle report against the driver. Cousin Bob will be facing felony vehicular-theft charges and some serious jail time, but you might end up getting your car back a little sooner.
It might come as a bit of a newsflash to Hollywood's party girls, but driving with a suspended license is considered a serious offense. Unlike most speeding offenses or doing the "California Roll" through a stop sign, which are infractions, driving without a license is a misdemeanor.
To be helpful, I have compiled the following checklist for the blond brigade for the next time they are getting ready to drive:
Check makeup.
Check hair extensions.
Check to make sure you have a valid driver's license before you turn the key.
Michelle Groh-Gordy is the owner of InterActive! Traffic School Online at www.trafficinteractive.com , and writes a syndicated weekly column on driving for the publications of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
