1543 - Driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked.
§ 1543. Driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked. (a) Offense defined.--Except as provided in subsection (b), any person who drives a motor vehicle on any highway or trafficway of this Commonwealth after the commencement of a suspension, revocation or cancellation of the operating privilege and before the operating privilege has been restored is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $200. (b) Certain offenses.-- (1) A person who drives a motor vehicle on a highway or trafficway of this Commonwealth at a time when the person's operating privilege is suspended or revoked as a condition of acceptance of Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for a violation of section 3802 (relating to driving under influence of alcohol or controlled substance) or the former section 3731, because of a violation of section 1547(b)(1) (relating to suspension for refusal) or 3802 or former section 3731 or is suspended under section 1581 (relating to Driver's License Compact) for an offense substantially similar to a violation of section 3802 or former section 3731 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be sentenced to pay a fine of $500 and to undergo imprisonment for a period of not less than 60 days nor more than 90 days. (1.1) (i) A person who has an amount of alcohol by weight in his blood that is equal to or greater than .02% at the time of testing or who at the time of testing has in his blood any amount of a Schedule I or nonprescribed Schedule II or III controlled substance, as defined in the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, or its metabolite and who drives a motor vehicle on any highway or trafficway of this Commonwealth at a time when the person's operating privilege is suspended or revoked as a condition of acceptance of Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for a violation of section 3802 or former section 3731 or because of a violation of section 1547(b)(1) or 3802 or former section 3731 or is suspended under section 1581 for an offense substantially similar to a violation of section 3802 or former section 3731 shall, upon a first conviction, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be sentenced to pay a fine of $1,000 and to undergo imprisonment for a period of not less than 90 days. (ii) A second violation of this paragraph shall constitute a misdemeanor of the third degree, and upon conviction thereof the person shall be sentenced to pay a fine of $2,500 and to undergo imprisonment for not less than six months. (iii) A third or subsequent violation of this paragraph shall constitute a misdemeanor of the first degree, and upon conviction thereof the person shall be sentenced to pay a fine of $5,000 and to undergo imprisonment for not less than two years. (2) This subsection shall apply to any person against whom one of these suspensions has been imposed whether the person is currently serving this suspension or whether the effective date of suspension has been deferred under any of the provisions of section 1544 (relating to additional period of revocation or suspension). This provision shall also apply until the person has had the operating privilege restored. This subsection shall also apply to any revocation imposed pursuant to section 1542 (relating to revocation of habitual offender's license) if any of the enumerated offenses was for a violation of section 3802 or former section 3731 or for an out-of-State offense that is substantially similar to a violation of section 3802 or former section 3731, for which a revocation is imposed under section 1581. (c) Suspension or revocation of operating privilege.--Upon receiving a certified record of the conviction of any person under this section, the department shall suspend or revoke that person's operating privilege as follows: (1) If the department's records show that the person was under suspension, recall or cancellation on the date of violation, and had not been restored, the department shall suspend the person's operating privilege for an additional one-year period. (2) If the department's records show that the person was under revocation on the date of violation, and had not been restored, the department shall revoke the person's operating privilege for an additional two-year period. (d) Citation of appropriate subsection.--Prior to filing a citation for a violation of this section with the issuing authority named in the citation, the police officer shall verify the basis for the suspension with the department. Upon receiving the verification, the officer shall cite the appropriate subsection of this section on the citation. (Dec. 15, 1982, P.L.1268, No.289, eff. 30 days; Dec. 11, 1986, P.L.1530, No.166, eff. 60 days; Nov. 23, 1987, P.L.399, No.82, eff. 60 days; Dec. 12, 1994, P.L.1048, No.143, eff. 9 months; Dec. 21, 1998, P.L.1126, No.151, eff. imd.; Oct. 4, 2002, P.L.845, No.123, eff. 60 days; Sept. 30, 2003, P.L.120, No.24, eff. Feb. 1, 2004) 2003 Amendment. Act 24 amended subsec. (b). 1994 Amendment. Act 143 amended subsecs. (b) and (c). See section 4 of Act 143 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to habitual offenders. 1987 Amendment. Act 82 added subsec. (d). Cross References. Section 1543 is referred to in sections 1541, 1542, 1547, 1549, 1553, 1554, 3807, 3811, 3812, 6309.1, 6503, 6506 of this title; sections 1522, 1725.3, 5553, 9763, 9804 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).