This toolkit tells you about steps you can take to restore (get back) your standard Michigan driver’s license if it was suspended or revoked. For general information about restoring your driver’s license, read the Articles. Review the Common Questions if you have a specific question. Go to Courts & Agencies for information about the court that will handle your case.
You'll find links to legal aid offices and lawyer referral services under Find A Lawyer. If there is a Self-Help Center in your area you can get more help there. If you need something other than legal help, look in Community Services. If you need a fee waiver, an interpreter, a court to accommodate your disability, or more information about going to court, visit Going to Court.
Common Questions
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.