Pennsylvania residents want to work, and getting caught up in the mess of administrative license suspensions hinders their ability to keep working.
License suspension for failing to submit paperwork or paying a fee should never cause you to lose your job or miss work. This only causes more problems and more missed fees, which ultimately results in longer license suspensions. In Pennsylvania, we have a great system to keep PA working…the Pennsylvania Work Limited License. This limited license lets drivers continue to drive with a heavily restricted and monitored type of license so they can continue to work and be productive. This restricted license sets the hours during which you can drive, so that you’re only allowed to do so for work, school, or medical purposes. The PA work license can be tailored to fit your schedule and requirements, for instance, if your job requires transportation between multiple locations, or if you work a swing shift. You will only be permitted to drive during the hours requested, and for the purposes outlined in your PA work license affidavit.
The biggest problem is that a number of violations disqualify you from being able to continue working with the help of a limited work license, including:
- Convicted of driving with no automobile insurance (1786)
- Failed to stay current on your child support
- Did not pay money owed to a court (or stopped paying) and your driver’s license gets suspended indefinitely as a result
So at a time when earning money at work to clear up these problems is of the utmost importance, the one recourse you may have available is not offered to you. Why not?
It would be easy for the state to justify granting work license applications for the above reasons. It allows the state to monitor a driver closely by keeping limited hours, and double checking for valid auto insurance. This would be a wakeup call to a driver and would help prevent them from falling into the license suspension death spiral by keeping them at work and able to repay their debts. Employers in Pennsylvania would be grateful because they have a more responsible workforce with better transportation options and would generally be more cautious because they can have their limited work license revoked at any time.
Just remember that Pennsylvania wants to work! We need to help facilitate our residents’ desire to work by trying to help them keep their jobs and take care of their families.