Officer Craig Sroka patrols in Coventry, Rhode Island. He often takes time outside his beat to answer questions his 314,000 TikTok followers ask him. This one’s about what drivers might expect if they find themselves in a traffic stop outside of their hardship hours.

Hardship hours are special driving times the state allows when someone’s license is restricted or suspended

Usually, they’re applied by a judge after a DUI or other violation. These hours let you operate a car only for essential needs. For example, driving to work, school, medical appointments, or caring for family.

It’s basically the state saying, “We’ll trust you to drive, but only when absolutely necessary.” The idea is that if you haven’t messed up “too terribly bad,” you might get permission to operate a car in order to support yourself or your household.

Without hardship hours, you’d be forced to walk, bike, rideshare, or use public transit.

Police officer explains what happens when you’re caught violating hardship hours

Officer Sroka puts it pretty bluntly. “You do get arrested.”

He says that on top of the arrest, your car gets towed. Once you’re booked, you wait. “You’ll see the judge in the morning.”

What’s more, the judge probably won’t be too happy about the curfew violation. In Rhode Island, you might get fined, have your hardship hours revoked, or even be penalized with jail time, depending on the circumstances.