14601.1(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle when his or her driving privilege is suspended or revoked for any reason other than those listed in Section 14601, 14601.2, or 14601.5, if the person so driving has knowledge of the suspension or revocation. Knowledge shall be conclusively presumed if mailed, notice has been given by the department to the person pursuant to Section 13106. The presumption established by this subdivision is a presumption affecting the burden of proof.
Criminal Consequences: For a first offense, you can be charged up to $1000 in fees (plus additional assessments) or up to six months in the county jail. You can also receive both fines and jail time depending on the circumstances. Repeated convictions for this offense will increase these fines. Serious repeat offenders may not have the option to pay fines and must instead resolve the matter through jail time.
DMV Consequences: Each violation of VC 14601.1 carries two points that will be assessed to your DMV record. This means that if you receive just two VC 14601.1 charges within one year (or a 14601.2 offense following a recent DUI), you will have another suspension placed on your record in addition to the current suspension.
Other Consequences: The vehicle you drove during the violation may be impounded at the scene of the offense. In general, the first time you are caught driving on a suspended/revoked license, the vehicle is typically impounded for thirty days. However, police do have the ability to hold the vehicle in impound for up to six months. In more severe cases, the court may decide to carry out a forfeiture of your vehicle taking it permanently.