How to Check If Your License Is Suspended in Maryland

To check if your license is suspended in Maryland, you have four options: log in to the MVA’s MyMVA online portal, call the MVA Customer Service Center, request a copy of your driving record by mail, or walk into any MVA branch office in person. Any one of them will tell you your current status. Catching a suspension early matters, because driving on a suspended license is a criminal offense that carries up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for a first conviction.¹

Check Online Through MyMVA

The fastest way is the MVA’s MyMVA portal at mva.maryland.gov. Create an account or log in, and you can view MVA notifications, see your driving record, and check whether any actions have been taken against your license. The portal also lets you pay outstanding fees and upload documents the MVA has requested, which can speed things up if a suspension turns out to be in place and you want to start clearing it the same day.

Call the MVA Customer Service Center

Call 410-768-7000, or toll-free 1-800-950-1MVA. Have your driver’s license number, full name, and date of birth ready. A representative can tell you your current status and walk you through the reason for any action on your record. Calling is a good choice if you’ve received mail from the MVA and aren’t sure what it means, or if unpaid fines or a court requirement may be tied to your driving privileges and you want someone to explain what’s actually holding things up.

Request Your Driving Record by Mail

If you want a paper copy, download form DR-057 (“Request for Motor Vehicle Administration Records”) from the MVA’s website or pick one up at any branch. Fill it out, then send it with a check or money order payable to the Motor Vehicle Administration. A non-certified copy is $12; a certified copy is $15.² Mail everything to:

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
6601 Ritchie Highway NE
Glen Burnie, MD 21062³

Processing takes a few weeks, so this method works best when you’re not in a hurry. The record itself will show any active suspensions, revocations, accumulated points, and past violations. A certified copy carries the MVA’s official seal, which is what courts and most employers require if you need to show your record to someone else.

Visit an MVA Branch in Person

Going into a branch office gives you the most direct path to answers. Bring a valid photo ID and any correspondence you’ve already received from the MVA. Staff can pull up your record on the spot, tell you what caused a suspension if there is one, and explain exactly what reinstatement will require. This is the best route if your situation is complicated, if you’ve received conflicting information, or if you want to start resolving things the same day.

What Your Record Will Tell You

However you check, your record will show whether your license is currently suspended, revoked, or in good standing, along with the reason for any action. If a suspension is active, the record should also indicate what triggered it, which is the first thing you need to know before you can fix it. If you’re unsure what a specific entry means, call the MVA or ask staff at a branch to interpret it before you assume the worst.

Common Reasons Your License Could Be Suspended

People often check their status because they suspect something might have gone wrong. Suspensions in Maryland get triggered by more than just traffic tickets. Knowing the common causes helps you narrow down what to look for on your record:

Accumulating 8 or more points from traffic violations within a two-year period; 12 points leads to full revocation.⁴
A DUI or DWI conviction, with longer suspensions for repeat offenses or for refusing a breath test.
Failing to appear in court or failing to pay a traffic fine.
Letting your auto insurance lapse; if your insurer reports the cancellation and you don’t replace the policy, your registration and license can both be suspended.
Falling behind on child support; Maryland’s Child Support Enforcement Administration can trigger a suspension that stays in place until you catch up.
A medical or physical fitness concern reported by a healthcare provider or law enforcement.
Missing a required Driver Improvement Program date; if you were sent a referral letter and didn’t complete the course by the deadline, the MVA will suspend your license until you do.⁵

That last one catches people off guard more than any other. Referral letters get set aside or thrown out with junk mail, and the suspension shows up later without any obvious warning.

What to Do If Your License Is Suspended

If your check turns up an active suspension, what you need to do next depends on why it happened. Most reinstatements involve some mix of paying outstanding fines, court costs, or child support arrears; completing a required program such as the Driver Improvement Program or, for DUI-related suspensions, the MVA’s Ignition Interlock System Program; providing proof of insurance (Maryland uses form FR-19, which your insurance company files electronically with the MVA when you bind a new policy); and paying a reinstatement fee that varies by the type of suspension.⁶

If you’ve received a formal notice of suspension or revocation and want to challenge it, you have 10 days (excluding weekends and holidays) from the date on the notice to request a hearing. If you don’t request one within that window, the suspension takes effect automatically at the end of the 10 days.⁴ Until your status is cleared, don’t drive. A second conviction for driving on a suspended license within three years of the first carries up to two years in jail.¹

1
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-303 – Driving While Privilege Is Canceled, Suspended, Refused, or Revoked
2
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. MVA Fee Listing
3
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Driver Record Forms
4
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-404 – Effect of Accumulation of Points
5
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Driver Improvement Program
6
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Reinstatement of a Revoked Drivers License