In Pennsylvania, if a person is convicted of any offense involving the possession, sale, delivery, or giving away of any controlled substance, such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDoT) will suspend that person’s driver’s license.
For a first offense, the suspension is six months. A second offense carries a suspension of one year. Any third or subsequent offense requires a driver’s license suspension of two years.
Therefore, not only does a person convicted of a drug offense face the possibility of fines and jail time, there is an accompanying loss of the person’s driver’s license. Ay person who is charged with a drug offense should make sure that they and their lawyer are aware of the driver’s license suspension, as well as other penalties. It is sometimes possible for the lawyer to negotiate a plea agreement that would not require a suspension of the person’s driver’s license.
