California Driving Law - The Difference between Driving without a License and Driving without a License in Your Possession
Although this difference seems obvious, people often mistake the non-criminal infraction of driving without a license in one’s possession for the more serious misdemeanor offense of driving without a valid license.
California Vehicle Code 12951 penalizes driving without a license in your possession. As previously stated, this is a non-criminal infraction that prosecutors must dismiss if you later prove that you were validly licensed at the time of your offense.
California Vehicle Code 12500 VC driving without a valid license is typically charged as a misdemeanor. This offense is charged when…at the time you are caught driving…the California Department of Motor Vehicles -- or the DMV from another state -- hasn’t issued you a license.
