I went to the DMV to renew my license and was stopped because of a ticket for basically being doubled parked. Why do i have to pay Virginia Motor vehicle $145 and pay the ticket to renew my license in Maryland.
Several states have made an agreement called the interstate compact, which means that if another state suspends your privilege to drive Uniate, due to an unpaid ticket, then the state that issued the license also suspends it. In order to resolve the matter you probably have to pay the jurisdiction that issued the ticket, and then go to Virginia and pay for them to reinstate your license. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help you evaluate the prosecution's case, any defenses that you might have, and any plea offer that might be made, so that you can decide whether to go to trial. Consider seeking a confidential consultation.
Most states participate in the Interstate Compact and the National Registry. With respect to parking tickets, what can happen is that a State could request that a flag be placed on a driver's license when a ticket is not paid. You would not be cleared to renew your license until the ticket is paid. This ensures that out of state licensees pay their parking tickets when they get one out of their home state. With other types of moving violations, the sanctions could be more severe, such as a suspension of your driving privileges or an arrest warrant if the citation is a "must appear"
Just pay the $145 and the suspension will be lifted, then you'll be free to obtain a license. There's really no other option. If you drive while suspended and get caught, then you will be facing up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and 12 points which will get you revoked without leave to re-apply for a license for at least 6 months. You'd have to hire a lawyer then, and pay even more. Don't compound your problems. $145 will seem like a bargain at that point.
Without more information it is difficult to give you a truly accurate response. That said, I will try to give you a practical explanation. I would venture to guess that you are caught in the following scenario. Every state has the power to control who is granted the "privilege to drive" within its borders. The States grant this privilege by either (1) issuing a driver's license ("document license") or (2) respecting a "document license" issued by a sister State.
A State can only take away what it has granted. Since you obtained your "document license" from Maryland, Virginia could not suspend the actual "document license" as a whole. Virginia could only suspend your "privilege to drive" on their roadways by temporarily disrespecting your Maryland driver's license within its borders.
Maryland law prevents the MVA from issuing a new "document license" to anyone that has an active suspension in any State. That is why the renewal was stopped. You have to clear all your suspensions.
Virginia dictates how to release the suspension it imposed and thus is somewhat in control. The system works quite well for the several States. Virginia gets what it needs with a little patience.
You are a bit lucky. If you had been stopped in Virginia you would probably be facing jail time, fines, and further suspensions. I know it’s inconvenient but you have the opportunity to resolve it easily.
