Drive to Justice
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A coalition to end debt-related driver's license suspensions in Ohio.
You have a right to drive!
Drive to Justice wants to help!
Sign Up for an Info Session
Upcoming Events
bfo
legal aid
nieghborhood connections
policy matters
te
Check Your License Status
What is HB29?
Stay Engaged
Share Your Story
Partners & Toolkit
Transportation directly affects quality of life:
finding and
maintaining
employment
financial strain,
independence, housing
options
access to
healthcare, and more. In 2022, it was found that over 60% of
suspended driver's licenses are a result of debt, and
not dangerous drivin
Debt-related license suspensions directly
criminalize
poverty
keep
ing
people trapped in a cycle of debt.
Drive to Justice is a coalition of community-based organizations advocating to end debt-related driver’s license suspensions in Ohio. By providing education and support while connecting with policymakers, Drive to Justice aims to mobilize and empower community members around the issue of debt-related driver’s license suspensions ensuring that public policy is informed by the views of Ohioans most affected by these policies.
Check the Status of Your License
Steps to reinstate a license:
Go to the BMV website to see if you’re able to get your license back.
Log into OH ID account. If you don’t have an account, you must create one.
Under “Reinstatement Requirements & Fees” your license status and BMV cases will be listed.
For more information or to ask your own question, visit the Marshall Project’s
suspended license FAQ.
Additional Resources
Find additional resource on HB29 and license suspensions here like flyers, and web resources. Have a suggestion for a resource? Let us know below.
Thank you to
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
for providing these resources.
What can you do if your driver's license is suspended?
New Ohio law ends driver’s license suspensions for unpaid court fines or fees
My Ohio driver license is suspended. What are my options?
What is the Ohio BMV Reinstatement Fee Debt Reduction and Amnesty Program?
How to Handle a Suspended Driver’s License in Ohio
I need my driver's license back - are there payment plans for those who owe fees?
Learn More & Get Engaged
Join us for an informational session where we give a brief, high-level background of HB29 and the impact of driver’s license suspensions on people (in their own words).
We provide education, navigation, and resources - we
do not
pay the fines or give legal advice.
Drive to Justice Information Sessions are held virtually on the third Wednesday of each month, rotating 12:30pm and 5:00pm respectively.
Want us to come to you at your organization or business?
Complete the form below to request an info session!
Sign Up for an Info Session
Request an Outreach Visit
View our Events Calendar
What is House Bill 29?
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.
As of June 2025, HB29 has:
Removed
suspensions & registration blocks
Removed
in reinstatement fees
However...
Passing laws is just the beginning — real change happens through implementation. Ohioans need to know they may now have the right to drive again. Help us spread the word about Drive to Justice, so more people check their status, reclaim their licenses, and join the movement.
Ohioans have one suspension remaining
Ohioans have multiple suspensions
The fight isn’t over! Learn how to advocate for driving justice and
Stay Engaged with Drive to Justice!
Join our fight to end all debt-related license
suspensions, and
get justice for Ohioans.
Tell Your Story!
Join the Drive to Justice mailing list for updates, resources, and events!
Submit an event to the community calendar!
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
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.
Visit Building Freedom Ohio's Website
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Legal Aid's mission is to secure justice, equity, and access to opportunity for and with people who have low incomes through passionate legal representation and advocacy for systemic change. This mission centers on our vision for Northeast Ohio to be a place in which all people experience dignity and justice, free from poverty and oppression.
Visit Legal Aid Society of Cleveland's Website
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.
Visit Neighborhood Connection's Website
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.
Visit Policy Matters Ohio's Website
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.
Visit Toward Employment's Website
Partner Toolkit
DTJ Internal Meeting Notes (Password Protected)