The penalty for driving without a license varies, depending on a person's location. Different countries, states, and provinces enforce their own penalties for drivers who operate vehicles without their licenses, but traffic tickets and fines are probable for the majority of offenders in almost all areas of the world. The amount of a fine for driving without a license can vary, depending on how many times a person has been caught doing so. First-time offenders typically get smaller fines, while multiple offenders might have to pay larger amounts. A rise in an insurance premium is another possible penalty.
Another thing that may affect the penalty for driving without a license are the circumstances behind the lack of a license. There are many people who drive away without their licenses because they simply forgot them at home, and these people can usually prove that they do in fact have licenses by providing certain information. People who don't have their licenses on them because they forgot them usually get either warnings or traffic tickets. Fines are not as common for first-time offenders, but they aren't unheard of either.
People who drive when they don't actually have licenses at all may be subject to more serious penalties. Traffic tickets and large fines are very common for people who drive when they have never been issued driver's licenses. It is also a serious offense when people drive on licenses that have been suspended or revoked. In some areas, people can be arrested for driving when they have never been issued licenses and also when their licenses have been suspended or revoked for various reasons. Some areas penalize people with up to six months of jail time for driving when they don't have driver's licenses issued to them or if their existing licenses have been taken away from them.
Another penalty is related to insurance premiums. Driving without a license is typically an offense that goes on a person's record, particularly if a traffic ticket was issued. People who only received warnings for driving with no license probably do not have to worry about it going on their records. When any type of traffic offense goes on a person's record, that person's insurance company will normally be notified. As a result, a person can usually expect her insurance premium to rise at least slightly.