Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
If you have gotten to this point it has undoubtedly been a tough road. In order to apply for your driver’s license to be restored it means that it was taken away at one point. Most typically it was taken away due to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs multiple times. After all the time, money, and effort spent on staying sober and staying out of jail, you are finally ready to petition to get your driver’s license back. While on its face applying to get your license back seems easy enough, it is the nuances of the process which many times makes the determination if you get your license back, or if you have to wait another year before applying again. We will examine the basic requirements for the Secretary of State to hear your driver’s license restoration case and will note some things to watch out for and why having an attorney can be extremely beneficial.
Am I even eligible to apply for my driver’s license back?
Typically, you are eligible when at least one year has passed since your license was revoked. Your first step should be a trip to the Secretary of State to obtain an official copy of your driver’s record. That way we can help determine when you are eligible to apply for your license back.
What are the basics needed for a driver’s license restoration?
You will need to get a few things done in order to properly request a hearing:
• A current substance abuse assessment
• A 10-panel drug screen
• Letters of support from family, friends or co-workers
• Other evidence of support
While not required, some verified attendance in AA or other substance abuse treatment can be very helpful in getting your license back.
What should I watch out for?
It is important that the letters of support are from family and friends who can attest to your sobriety and sound decision making. It is on you to prove that you are not a risk on the road due to alcohol or drug use. It is important to know what information should be included in these letters, what should be excluded, and who these letters should come from in the first place. More is not always better; it is important to have a smaller quantity of quality letters of support than to just have a lot of them without the proper information included in them.
The decision whether you get your license back sits with a hearing officer for the Secretary of State which acts like an administrative law judge who will question you live and will consider all of your submitted documents in support of your petition to restore your driving privileges. It is important to understand that each one of these officers’ handles things in their own way. These officers routinely will ask questions that you won’t be ready for unless you simply have prior experience in front of that officer. Our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience and have practiced in front of every hearing officer there is. We know what to expect and how to help present you in the best way possible.
If the hearing officer grants you your license, expect to have an interlock device installed on your car for at least a year before your full driving privileges are restored. This interlock device will completely be at your expense, and it will be your responsibility to keep it in working order. A violation on the interlock can further revoke your license again.
If the hearing officer denies your license then you have two options, you can either seek an appeal if you have an appealable issue to the circuit court of your county, or you will have to wait a year before you apply again. It is important to do this once and to do it right. You likely had an attorney represent you in your DUI cases before, and it is imperative to hire an attorney to give yourself the best chance to get your license back and get on the road. We are standing by on our 24/7 defense line at 1-800-342-7896 or contact us online. We know what it takes to get your license back with a 97% success rate in driver’s license restoration cases. Yours can be next.