Asset 2@4x

A coalition to end debt-related driver's license suspensions in Ohio.

Drive to Justice is a coalition of community-based organizations (Neighborhood Connections, Policy Matters Ohio, Building Freedom Ohio, and Towards Employment) advocating to end debt-related driver’s license suspensions in Ohio.

Drive to Justice provides education and support to mobilize and empower community members around the issue of debt-related driver’s license suspensions, ensuring public policy is informed by the views of Ohioans most affected by these policies.

HB29 Updates

hb29 sb37

Successful passage of House Bill 29 in December puts thousands of Ohioans back on the road and back to work.  

Passed with the support of Drive to Justice (Neighborhood Connections, Policy Matters, Building Freedom Ohio and Towards Employment) and countless other advocacy groups, such as the Ohio Poverty Law Center, and the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, this legislation means:

  • Licenses can no longer be suspended due to failure to pay a court fee or fine. The legislation is retroactive: it applies to past suspensions for failure to pay court fines and fees. There is no reinstatement fee for restoring licenses suspended for that reason.
  • Drug Abuse Offenses can no longer be punished by a suspended driver’s license, unless the offense is associated with dangerous driving.
  • HB 29 reduces the lookback period for driving without insurance offenses to be considered repeat offenses from five years to one year.
  • School truancy is no longer a reason for license suspension or denial.
  • Those whose licenses were suspended for failure to pay child support can now file a motion with the courts for limited driving privileges.

Resources:

Need More Information?

Questions?

Steps to Get Your License Back

Drive to Justice is committed to ensuring HB29 accomplishes its primary goal: getting Ohioans back on the road. We are working with local and statewide policy and advocacy partners to monitor effective implementation and will provide updates on this website.

In the next month (April 9 – May 9) the state will be mailing letters that include details of the driver’s license suspensions being removed and the steps drivers need to follow to restore their licenses.

But today, you can do two things to prepare:

  1. Make sure your address is correct in the BMY system
  2. Check your driver’s license suspensions in the system so you can compare with the letter you receive.

Share Your Story

If you’d like to contribute to our advocacy work, please use the prompts at right to share your experience and a member of our team will follow up to receive more details. Your story may be shared through a variety of channels, including newsletters, social media, our website, legislative testimony, and more. We will never use your story without your explicit permission. You will be guided through a consent process following submission of your story.

Partners

building freedom ohio - transparent

Building Freedom Ohio

Building Freedom Ohio's mission is to develop the leadership capacity of people with the wisdom of their lived experiences in the criminal justice system, to build and wield power in the grassroots driven BFO chapters throughout Ohio.

policy matters ohio logo

Policy Matters Ohio

Policy Matters Ohio, a non-profit policy research institute, creates a more vibrant, equitable, sustainable and inclusive Ohio through research, strategic communications, coalition building and policy advocacy.

neighborhood connections logo

Neighborhood Connections

Established in 2003 by the Cleveland Foundation, Neighborhood Connections is a nationally recognized community-building program. Its mission is to fuel the power of neighbors to create, together, an extraordinary world right where they live. Its small grants program is the largest in the country and is guided by a grantmaking committee of Cleveland and East Cleveland residents. The committee reviews and approves all grants. Since 2003, Neighborhood Connections has awarded more than 2,600 grants totaling more than $8.3 million.

TE_Logo_Full_Color

Towards Employment

Towards Employment promotes economic mobility, focusing on those most impacted by systemic racism. We educate and advocate for a more equitable workforce system where racial income gaps have been eliminated and everyone has access to family sustaining wages and quality jobs.