Source: https://www.edmundmichielaw.com/drivers-license-restoration-virginia.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 20:35:16+00:00

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People can have their driving privileges suspended, restricted, or lost for a number of reasons. If you are not exactly sure why your license is suspended or what steps you need to take to get driving privileges restored, get a compliance statement from the DMV.
Failing to pay a court fine. Even fines completely unrelated to driving can result in suspensions. See Va. Code § 46.2-395. To get your driving privileges restored, start by getting a compliance statement from the DMV; it will tell you what you need to do to get your privileges restored and specifically what court(s) have a suspension on you. Then go to those courts and set up a payment plan. You do not have to pay off the full amount of the fines owed, in order to get cleared by the court and the DMV to get driving privileges restored -- but you must set up a payment plan with each court and stick to it (or get the payment plan changed, if needed, by the court). Again, the compliance statement is the key document to follow to get back to driving.
​Suspensions for convictions of DUIs, drug possession, serious traffic charges, or other criminal convictions. See my subject matter pages for more details on specific offenses; also see links below. These suspensions and restrictions are generally set by the judge on the date of conviction, and you need to get any modifications from that same court. Sometimes, however, it is the DMV that does the suspension based on a conviction by the court -- even though the court did not issue a suspension.
Medical suspensions. See, for example, Va. Code § 46.2-322. These generally come about when the DMV gets some notice of concerns about your medical condition. DMV then requires a doctor to certify whether you are safe to drive.
The two most common reasons people come to me to help get their driving privileges restored are: (1) they were declared Habitual Offenders back when that was being done by the DMV and the courts, or (2) they were convicted of a felony DUI (3rd or subsequent offense).
In both these situations, the person's license is suspended, essentially indefinitely, until a person petitions the Circuit Court for restoration of driving privileges.
Prior to 1999 (when the law was repealed), the courts and DMV used to declare people "habitual offenders" if they had three or more "serious" driving offenses. These offenses most commonly ended up being a combination of convictions of DUIs and driving on a suspended license (for example, 1 DUI + 2 driving suspended or 3 driving suspended).
Curiously, when the legislature repealed the law, it did not pass a law that automatically allowed all previously declared habitual offenders to be eligible for license restoration. Consequently, the large number of people who were H.O.'s in 1999 are still not eligible to drive until they file a petition in Circuit Court and get permission from the judge. The primary laws regarding petitioning for restoration ( Va. Code § 46.2-360, Va. Code § 46.2-361, and Va. Code ​§ 46.2-358) usually have waiting periods that must pass before one can be eligible for restoration (3 to 5 years), but those time periods have all already passed for everyone who is still a declared H.O. Nevertheless, some courts still have their own (I believe misguided) policies of not restoring privileges to anyone with a recent driving conviction, but those time periods are not set in stone with the force of law.
Moreover, those individuals who had DUI convictions as part of the reason they were declared H.O.'s must demonstrate that alcohol use is no longer something that is a concern (see Va. Code § 46.2-361). Different judges have different levels of proof on this issue that must be met before they will restore a person's driver's license. The court also has the power to start a person with just a restricted driver's license (e.g. just being allowed to drive to and from work -- and to and during work -- for work purposes; see Va. Code § 18.2-271.1, or requiring an ignition interlock device to test for alcohol use). Indeed, starting a person with a restricted license is quite common even in situations where the judge could have jumped straight to full restoration.
The driver's license of a person convicted of three or more DUIs in a 10-year period is suspended indefinitely on the day of conviction. See Va. Code § 18.2-271 . The law allows, however, for the defendant to file a petition to ask the court for restricted driving privileges after three years, and after five years the defendant can petition the court for restoration of full privileges.
With all such petitions, it is fully in the discretion of the court to decide whether to grant driving privileges and what legally allowed restrictions to impose.
"For a restricted license to authorize such person to drive a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth in the course of his employment and to drive a motor vehicle to and from his home to the place of his employment after the expiration of three years from the date of his last conviction. The court may order that a restricted license for such purposes be issued in accordance with the procedures of subsection E of § 18.2-271.1, if the court is satisfied from the evidence presented that (i) at the time of the previous convictions, the petitioner was addicted to or psychologically dependent on the use of alcohol or other drugs; (ii) at the time of the hearing on the petition, he is no longer addicted to or psychologically dependent on the use of alcohol or such other drugs; and (iii) the defendant does not constitute a threat to the safety and welfare of himself and others with regard to the driving of a motor vehicle. The court shall prohibit the person to whom a restricted license is issued from operating a motor vehicle that is not equipped with a functioning, certified ignition interlock system during all or any part of the term for which the restricted license is issued, in accordance with the provisions set forth in § 18.2-270.1. However, prior to acting on the petition, the court shall order that an evaluation of the person, to include an assessment of his degree of alcohol abuse and the appropriate treatment therefor, if any, be conducted by a Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program and recommendations therefrom be submitted to the court, and the court shall give the recommendations such weight as the court deems appropriate. The Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program shall during the term of the restricted license monitor the person's compliance with the terms of the restrictions imposed by the court. Any violation of the restrictions shall be reported to the court, and the court may then modify the restrictions or revoke the license."

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