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Common Questions about Getting Your Michigan Driver's License Restored
Contents
These are common questions about getting your Michigan driver's license restored.
Questions about Getting Your Michigan Driver's License Restored
If your driver’s license was suspended or revoked, there are certain things you must do to restore it (get it back). The first thing you will need to do is get a copy of your driving record to see what is on it. If you could have a ticket or something else on your driving record from another state, you should look at your record from that state. Outstanding tickets and fines from other states could affect your ability get or restore a Michigan license.
To get your license back, you must pay all the fines you owe. You must also pay the $125 reinstatement fee to get your license back. You may need to request a hearing from the SOS before you can get your license back. You can use the Request for Hearing form from the Michigan Department of State to complete your request. Review the form for instructions on how to complete and submit it.
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver's License.
You can get your certified complete driving record from your local Secretary of State (SOS) office, or order it online or by mail or fax. It will cost $12 to get it. Be sure to ask for your certified complete record. There are edited versions of records that won’t be helpful to you. A complete record will have the number “42” in the second line of the upper left corner.
Look at everything below “End of Record History” on your record to identify any barriers that are stopping you from restoring your license. The information in that section shows all current barriers that you need to take care of before you can restore your license. The information will include the dates, locations, and specific offenses. It may also include suspension dates. Suspensions can either be definite or indefinite. You can have multiple definite and indefinite suspensions on your record at once. You will need to look at each of them to know what you need to do in order to get your license restored.
To learn more about reading other parts of your record, read the SOS manual How to Read a Driving Record.
If your license was revoked for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI), the penalties are more severe than many other traffic violations. OWI involves driving while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both. Some examples of OWI are:
- Driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher
- Driving a commercial vehicle with a BAC of 0.04 or higher
- For drivers under the age of 21, driving with a BAC of 0.02 or higher
If you had an OWI, look at your driving record to see if it says “Administrative Denied and Revoked.” If it does, look to see if there is an “eligible for review” date also. You must wait for the review date before you can do anything with your license. Once the review date comes, the SOS should send you a packet which will include a Substance Use Evaluation form and Request for Hearing (SOS-257/258).
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver’s License.
Maybe. You will be considered a “habitual offender” if you had two or more OWI convictions in seven years, or three or more within a 10 year period.
If you are in this situation, you will likely have at least two hearings. At the first hearing, the hearing officer will either deny your request to have your license restored, or issue a restricted license. A restricted license means you will need to install a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) in any vehicle you want to drive. You are responsible for all costs of installing a BAIID. You cannot legally drive until the BAIID is properly installed and you send proof of this to your local SOS office. You cannot remove the BAIID without SOS approval. You cannot drive someone else’s car that does not have a BAIID. You have to wait at least one year after driving with the BAIID to have a review hearing that will completely restore your license. You will need to bring an official BAIID report to your review hearing (the second hearing).
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver’s License.
Yes. Suspensions can either be definite or indefinite. You can have multiple definite and indefinite suspensions on your record at once. You will need to look at each of them to know what you need to do in order restore your license.
Definite suspensions will list a specific period, including a “from” and “through” date on the driving record. Once the through date has passed, you must go to your local SOS office and pay the $125 reinstatement fee to restore your license.
Indefinite suspensions have no through date. This means these suspensions don’t have a pre-decided end date. Some common reasons why a driver could have an indefinite license suspension are:
- Outstanding tickets and fines
- Not paying child support
- No proof of car insurance
- Alcohol and drug related driving offenses
- Failure to appear in court for a misdemeanor hearing for a traffic violation
- Failure to comply with a judgment
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver’s License.
Your driving record might also include information about Driver Responsibility Fees (DRF). The DRF law was passed in 2003. The law added $100-$500 annual fees on top of existing fees for certain driving offenses. Beginning October 1, 2018, the state eliminated all existing DRF and no longer collects them. If your license is not expired and was suspended for DRF and you have no other tickets, fines, or other issues, your license was automatically restored on October 1, 2018.
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver’s License.
If you cannot pay all the fines and fees you owe at once, and you likely never will be able to, you can ask a judge for alternative sanctions. Some examples of alternative sanctions are:
- Reduce the fines and fees and put you on an affordable payment plan
- Discharge (forgive) some or all of the fines and fees
- Allow you to do community service instead of paying the fines and fees
- A combination of any of these
You can ask for these in a Motion for Alternative Sanctions. Use the Do-It-Yourself Motion for Alternative Sanctions tool (coming soon) to complete your motion.
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver’s License.
Yes. If you have a failure to appear in court for a misdemeanor hearing related to a traffic violation, it means you likely have a bench warrant. These types of cases show up on driving records as “FAC Suspension.”
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver’s License.
For the hearing, a lawyer for the Secretary of State (SOS) will be the hearing officer and will decide your case. Go to the hearing location on the date of your hearing. The hearing will take place at an SOS office. Look for a small office room in the lobby of the SOS office that is marked “hearings.” You don’t need to check in with anyone. Do not take a number and wait to be called. The room will likely have a TV in it.
It is a good idea to arrive 15 minutes early. If there is someone else in the room for their hearing, wait for them to be done before you go in. These hearings usually start on time, and they usually last less than one hour.
The hearing officer may be at the hearing location in person, but they will more likely attend through video conferencing. If your hearing is through video conferencing, the TV will turn on when your hearing is scheduled to start, and the hearing officer will start the hearing at that time.
The hearing officer will listen to your testimony and review all the evidence before deciding whether to restore your license. Take copies of all the evidence you submitted. The hearing officer may refer to letters or other documents you submitted, so it will be helpful for you have copies to follow along. You can bring witnesses if you would like, but the hearing officer may say they have all the information they need from them in the letters you submitted written by them.
There will not be a lawyer arguing against you. You are not required to have a lawyer, but it may be a good idea to speak with one. Use the Guide to Legal Help to find lawyers in your area.
To learn more, read Restoring Your Driver’s License.