I recently moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania and I have a Delaware license. I am planning to buy a vehicle. Do I have to switch to a PA license before I can obtain vehicle insurance in Scranton?

Jake

Scranton, PA

You should be able to insure a vehicle in Scranton, PA with your DE driver’s license but it would be advisable to change over your Delaware license to a Pennsylvania license before purchasing, registering and insuring a vehicle just to make the whole process easier. You will need to go to the PA Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get a Pennsylvania driver’s license and register and title a car in this state.

The PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) states that all new residents with out-of-state non-commercial driver’s licenses must get a Pennsylvania Driver’s License within sixty days of establishing PA residency.

If you do buy and insure a vehicle in Scranton Pennsylvania before you exchange your DE driver’s license for a PA license then once you do obtain your PA license, during the sixty day period you have after you becoming a resident of Scranton PA, you need to tell the insurance provider of your new license.

My daughter had her license suspended in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She has a about three months left on the suspension. She just graduated from the university and started getting a new job. How does she get a special license so she may be able to work and back?

Allison

Bethlehem, PA

Your daughter will need to contact the PA Driver and Vehicle Services division of the Department of Transportation to check if she qualifies for a limited or conditional license that will permit her to operate a vehicle to and from work and perhaps home and college.

The information on the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code states that it is permitted for a person with a suspended license to apply for a restricted license. This includes either a occupational limited license or a probationary license.

An occupational limited license may be issued to a person whose driving privileges have been suspended. To get this type of license, a petition must be filed that listed the reasons the individual needs to drive a car.

In Pennsylvania how many points have to be on your driving record before they will suspend your drivers license? I live in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Angel

Reading, PA

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) maintains a driving record for every licensed motorist in Pennsylvania and points are added to this driving record when a motorist is found guilty of certain driving traffic violations.

Upon the 1st accumulation of six points, a motorist will receive a written notice to take special written point examination. The motorist has thirty days to successfully pass the exam otherwise the license will be suspended until the exam is passed. If the exam is passed within the thirty days, two points will be removed from the driving record.

If the motorist is under the age of eighteen the rules are different. PennDOT will suspend the drivers license when the motorist accumulate only six points or are convicted of driving 26 or more mph over the posted speed limit.

Can I get my driver’s permit before I turn sixteen in Pennsylvania?

Mary

Levittown, Pennsylvania (PA)

No, to the best of my knowledge you cannot get a learner’s permit in Pennsylvania before the age of sixteen. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Driver and Vehicles services as well as the PA driver’s manual, you must be sixteen years of age or older in order to apply for a learner’s permit.

Young drivers will also receive a Parent/Guardian Certification Form when they are issued a learner’s permit. This form is documents of the 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice. Young drivers must bring the completed certification form with them when they return to take the road portion of the driver licensing exam (6 months or more after getting their permit).

In Pennsylvania the earliest age that young drivers can qualify for a full unrestricted driver’s license in is 17 ½. These young drivers must have held a junior driver’s license for at least 1 full year, completed a state-approved driver’s education course, remained crash- and conviction-free, and to qualify for an unrestricted license before the age of eighteen.

I’m from the state of Pennsylvania and I did not have car insurance in NC. What will be the penalty for that?

Lee

Erie, PA

It looks like you are licensed in PA but that you were stopped and ticketed in North Carolina for driving without insurance. In North Carolina driving without insurance is a three point violation and can cause you to lose your license plate.

Since you do not reside in NC, the penalty could be different, such as a future proof of liability insurance and fine. To get more information on the specific penalties contact the entity listed on your citation ticket or the NC Department of Transportation (DOT).

As for back in Pennsylvania, since both states are part of the Drive License Compact (DLC) usually they report to each others DMV tickets received. In Pennsylvania a lapse in insurance results in the suspension of your vehicle’s registration for thirty days. If it is also determined that you drove your car while uninsured your driver’s license will also be suspended for thirty days.

I’m from Allentown, Pennsylvania and I’m thinking, what are the penalties if you get caught driving without insurance?

Paul

Allentown, PA

If Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) finds your car insurance has lapsed for over thirty one days you will have your car’s registration suspended for three months. If you get caught operating the vehicle without car insurance your license will be suspended for three months as well.

The vehicle’s registration plate, card , sticker and your driver’s license must be surrendered to PennDOT to serve the suspension. Reinstatement fees of $50 and proof of valid car insurance must be submitted prior to the time your registration and/or driving privileges are to be returned.

Other than these penalties for not having car insurance on your automobile if you are cited and stopped for operating a vehicle, your car might be impounded and fines will likely result, as well as the aforementioned suspensions.