An Ohio law put in place last year rolled back older driver’s license suspensions linked to more than 170,000 people across the state who owed fines and fees to local courts. So far, state officials say, 14,781 licenses have been reinstated.
That means just a fraction of affected people benefited from the law. For some, it could be because the letter notifying them of the change went to the wrong address. Or because their license expired and they now must to retake the driver’s test to get licensed. For the vast majority, it is because they have additional suspensions that were not covered by the law.
In all, about 36,000 suspensions for people in Cuyahoga County were lifted.
Groups aiming to help people get their licenses back will hold a workshop at the Garfield Heights Civic Center on March 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The center is at 5407 Turney Road.
Attorneys and advocates from the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Legal Works, Towards Employment, the Drive to Justice coalition and the Garfield Heights Municipal Court will be on hand to help with cases.
Bring any letters you have received from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or a local court about your case and any case numbers you have related to suspensions on your license. To check your status with the BMV, you’ll need the last four digits of your Social Security number and your date of birth.
Attorneys at the workshop can also answer questions about record sealing and expungements.