Ohio will punish fewer people for having too little money

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Ohio will punish fewer people for having too little money

Posted January 08, 2025 in Press Releases

Limiting the use of driver's license suspensions will help hundreds of thousands of Ohioans

Gov. DeWine today signed House Bill 29, reinstating some Ohio driver's licenses that had been suspended for non-driving-related offenses, and limiting the use of driver's license suspensions (DLS) as a penalty for those offenses in the future. As a result, more Ohioans will be able to get to work, access healthcare, and connect with loved ones.

"Sixty percent of the 3 million license suspensions Ohioans face in a given year happen for reasons related to debt, not driving," said Bree Easterling, Social Justice Outreach and Organizing Specialist with Policy Matters Ohio. "But someone with debt needs to be able to get to work to earn the money to pay that debt. Three of every four working Ohioans drive themselves to work; no one benefits when we make it harder for them to get there."

Among other changes, the bill:

• Eliminates DLS as a penalty for failure to pay a court fine or fee.
• Retroactively and automatically removes suspensions resulting from failure to pay court fines and fees.
• Removes DLS as a possible penalty for a drug abuse offense, unless the offender used a vehicle to further the commission of an offense related to causing others to use, manufacture, or traffic drugs.
• Reduces the lookback period for driving without insurance offenses to be considered repeat offenses from five years to one year.
• Eliminates school truancy as a reason for license denial or suspension.
• Broadens the conditions under which a person whose driver's license is suspended for failure to pay child support may file a motion for limited driving.
• Requires the Registrar to remove any remaining DLS associated with the Financial Responsibility Random Verification Program, which was repealed through H.B. 62 of the 133rd General Assembly.
• Prohibits the Registrar from charging any reinstatement fees for the reinstatement of a driver's license associated with the program.

"This bill is a step in the right direction, and it is encouraging to find legislators willing to dig in and do the work on these issues," Easterling said. "But driver's license suspensions are just one of the ways Ohio criminalizes poverty. There is a lot more work to do."