The original goal of Ohio lawmakers in suspending driving privileges may have been to make the roads safer. However, now, according to the Dayton Daily News, there are 32 different ways for an Ohio driver to lose his or her driver’s license, and not all of these have anything to do with driving.
In 2017, almost 1.1 million driver’s licenses were suspended in Ohio for at least one reason, a number which is close to 12% of the number of people old enough to drive in the state. Because many people had more than one suspension, the total number exceeded 3 million.
The penalties for a license suspension go beyond the jail time and fees that are associated with the offense. Before a driver can get his or her license back, there are also reinstatement fees, and these can add up to hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
According to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, here are some of the types of suspensions a person may receive:
- Insurance-related suspensions (four types)
- Alcohol/drug-related suspensions (eight types)
- Court suspensions (seven types)
- CDL suspensions (two types)
- Juvenile court suspensions (five types)
Other ways a person may lose a driver’s license include the following:
- Accumulation of traffic violation points
- Failure to pay child support
- Fraudulent driver’s license
- Medical condition
- Violation of a driver’s license restriction
Beginning Oct. 17, 2019, a reinstatement fee amnesty initiative begins that allows people with certain suspensions to apply for a reduction or waiver of fees. CDL suspensions and permit suspensions do not qualify. The program ends on Dec. 31, 2019, and applications must be postmarked or received no later than that date.
