Driver's License Restoration guide
For people in Virginia who want to restore their licenseUse this guide to restore your driver's license.
In Virginia, driving is considered a privilege - not a right.
You may have your driver's license suspended or revoked for different issues. These may be for past DUI offenses, for unpaid child support, or other problems.
You may get your driving privileges back by going to court, to get your driver's license restored. Or you can get a Restricted Driver's License, that lets you drive in limited circumstances.
If You Need More Help
Contact your local Virginia legal aid group by calling 1-866-534-5243.
You can also look up your local legal aid group online.
Lawyers can help you understand your options and next steps for your specific situation. Legal aid lawyers provide free help to people who qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
About what Virginians can do to restore their driver's license
Steps to Restore Your Driver's License
For people in VirginiaHow can you get your driver's license restored?
You may have your license suspended for different reasons: child support you owe, DUIs, driving on a suspended license, or being in a car accident without insurance.
You will have a different process depending on what situation you're in.
First, get your 'Compliance Summary' from the DMV.
Get your compliance summary from the Virginia DMV.
You can do this online y following the Compliance Summary or License Reinstatement Information links.
Or you can get it from a DMV Customer Service Center or calling them at 1-804-497-7100.
Follow what the Compliance Summary tells you.
Your personal Compliance Summary will tell you what is happening with your driver's license.
It will list the steps you need to take to restore your driver's license. These steps will depend on what the problem is.
If the suspension is for Child Support, then you will have to set up a payment plan.
You should talk to the Department for Child Support Enforcement in Virginia. Or call the DCSE at 1-800-468-8894, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.
The DCSE will tell you what steps you need to take to restore your driver's license. Likely they will recommend you to get on a payment plan to restore your license.
If the suspension is for another reason, then find the right guide for you.
If the suspension is for multiple Driving Under the Influences (DUIs), then use this guide to find how to restore your license.
If the suspension is or multiple instances of Driving on a Suspended License, then use this guide to start restoring the license.
If the suspension is for being in a Car Accident without Insurance, then use this guide for restoring your license.
Step 1:
Get Your Documents and Payments in Order
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There are some key pieces of information to gather and things to do, to prepare for a driver's license restoration.
Before you can apply for a driver’s license restoration, you must have the following information:
- A copy of your “Compliance Summary” from the DMV, and
- If you were declared a Habitual Offender, a copy of the Order from the Court that entered it, and
- You must have paid all your fines and costs relating to driving infractions showing on your driving history at DMV, OR
- Have a valid payment plan - with the court in which the fines and/or costs were incurred - and have made consistent payments with receipts available to show payment.
Step 2:
Follow the Steps in your Compliance Summary
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Your Compliance Summary will tell you the next steps to take, in order to restore your driver's license. Find the right guide for your situation:
- You have multiple DUIs
- You have multiple instances of driving on a suspended license
- You have been in a car accident without insurance.
- You have unpaid child support.
If the suspension is for Child Support, then you will have to set up a payment plan.
You should talk to the Department for Child Support Enforcement in Virginia. Or call the DCSE at 1-800-468-8894, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.
The DCSE will tell you what steps you need to take to restore your driver's license. Likely they will recommend you to get on a payment plan to restore your license.
Steps after Multiple DUIs
For people in Virginia who want to restore their driver's licenseIf your license suspension is for multiple DUIs, you have to go to court.
If you have 3 or more DUIs, you will have to ask the court to restore your driver's license.
File a petition in your local Circuit Court.
You have to petition the circuit court where you live to get your Driver’s License back.
Find your local Circuit Court in Virginia here.
Submit the petition and pay the court fees.
To file the petition with the Circuit Court, there is an $86 filing fee with two $12 service fees. That’s a total of $110.
Or you can file a 1-page Fee Waiver form with the court. If approved, then you can file for free.
Here is an online tool to help you fill in a Court Fee Waiver.
Your petition will be delivered to the DMV and the Sheriff's office.
The court will notify them that you have petitioned to have your driver's license restored.
Go to your local ASAP office for an assessment.
After you file the petition in court, then you'll have to contact your local ASAP (Alcohol Safety Action Program).
The ASAP officer will do an assessment of you.
The ASAP officer will interview you to make a recommendation.
At the ASAP office, you'll do an interview. The ASAP officer will ask you a series of questions.
The officer will use the interview to decide if they recommend you to get your Driver’s License back or not.
Then get your fingerprints taken.
You'll have to get your fingerprints taken at a Sheriffs' or a local police station.
You must then schedule a court hearing.
Go to your circuit court's clerk. Ask to schedule the court hearing for your petition.
The follow what the clerk says about the next available court date. It will probably be 45 or 60 days away.
Go to the court hearing and make your case.
The prosecutor will be on the other side.
You'll have to explain why you need your Driver’s License restored.
The prosecutor could challenge you or not.
The judge will make a decision.
The court will decide whether to grant your petition or deny it.
- Option 1: Restoration. They could grant you a fully restored Driver’s License with no conditions.
- Option 2: Partial Restoration. They could grant you a partially restored Driver’s License, with conditions like an Ignition Interlock, or driving for specific times/reasons (like driving for work or childcare).
- Option 3: Denial. They could deny your request for restoring your driver's license. You can try again afterward if you would like.
Steps after Driving on a Suspended License
For people in Virginia who want to restore their driver's licenseIf your license is suspended for multiple instances of Driving on a Suspended License, you may have to wait.
Typically, there will be a set time in which you can't have your driver’s license restored fully.
You can check your Compliance Summary from the DMV, to see how long you need to wait.
You can apply for a Restricted Driver's License.
If approved, this would let you drive for specific reasons.
For example, you could drive for getting to work, or taking care of children.
You would have to prove why you need the Driver's License.
For your stated reason (like work or child care), you would need to explain to the judge why you need a Restricted Driver's License.
You would fill in the Application for Restricted Driver's License to make your request.
File the petition in your local Circuit Court.
Find your local Circuit Court in Virginia here.
You may have to pay a filing fee to the court clerk. You can ask them about a Fee Waiver if you can't afford the filing fee.
At the court hearing, explain your need to the judge.
You will explain your need for a Driver’s License to the judge, and the judge will make a decision.
The judge will either decide to grant you the Restricted Driver’s License or not.
If they do grant you the Restricted License, you will only be allowed to drive when you follow the restrictions.
Steps After a Car Accident
For people in Virginia who want to restore their driver's licenseIf your license is suspended for a car accident without insurance, then you have to work with lawyers.
You'll have to contact the law firm that handled the initial car accident case.
They will be able to tell you what is needed to get the driver's license restored.
The law firm will talk to you about making payments.
The law firm will likely request you to pay a down payment on what you owe for the car accident.
You will have to make this down payment, or possibly get on a payment plan with the law firm.
Once your payments are made, the restoration process will begin.
Once you take care of the down payment, the law firm will release your Driver’s License by filing something with the court.
You won't have to do anything.
You will hear from the law firm about the process.
The law firm will tell you when they filed the driver's license release with the court.
They will let you know when it's done by sending you a notice through the mail.
You can take the notice to the DMV to get your license.
You can take the law firm's notice to the DMV.
The DMV should then release your driver’s license. You are able to drive legally again.
You can find a local Virginia DMV center here.
FAQs on Restoring Driver's Licenses
For people in VirginiaWhat can I do if my driver's license is suspended for a DUI?
You can go to the court to begin a restoration of your driver's license after you have been charged with DUIs.
If your driving history shows DUI (Driving Under the Influence) violations, you will be ordered by the court to go to VASAP (Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program) for an evaluation.
VASAP will NOT recommend restoration of a driver’s license - even a restricted one - unless you can show you have had no pattern of abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs.
In addition, even to get a restricted license, you must not be convicted of any traffic violations during the past three (3) years.
Getting a fully restored license has stricter requirements. You will be asked to provide:
- proof of your abstinence, and
- the names, addresses, and phone numbers for 5-6 references who know your character and know you haven’t been drinking.
The judge generally follows the recommendation of VASAP. The judge will determine if you are able to get a restricted or full driver's license.
Can unpaid child support get my driver's license suspended?
Yes, your driver's license may be suspended for unpaid child support.
In Virginia, the Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) has the right to ask DMV to suspend a driver’s license of anyone:
- Who is delinquent in their support payments for 90 days or more, or
- Who owes more than $5,000, or
- Who has failed to comply with a subpoena, summons, or warrant relating to paternity or child support proceedings.
If you lost your license due to one of these reasons, you can have your driver’s license fully restored by:
- Paying the child support owed in full, or
- Entering into a repayment agreement with DCSE and making at least 1 payment of 5% of the back support owed or $500, whichever is greater.
- Complying with the subpoena, summons, or warrant relating to paternity or child support.
If you cannot afford to pay the past child support owed, you may instead apply for a restricted driver's license. This is a limited license that lets you drive only in some circumstances.
You can apply through a court filing, with a juvenile or domestic relations court where you live. Follow the instructions in the section below on restricted driver's licenses.
How can I request a Restricted Driver's License?
If you are unable to meet all of the court’s requirements, or to pay all of your fines, you may choose to request a restricted license instead.
A restricted license does NOT allow the operation of a commercial vehicle, but it does allow you to operate a vehicle to travel to and from work, the doctor, and other places as permitted by the court.
You can fill in this court form, DC-263, to request a Restricted Driver's License in Virginia: http://www.courts.state.va.us/forms/district/dc263.pdf
Find more information on Virginia Restricted Driver's License eligibility and process here, at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Get More Help
with your legal situation
Find a Private Lawyer: To connect with a private lawyer, call Virginia Lawyer Referral Service at 1-800-552-7977 or go to their website at https://vlrs.community.lawyer/. Some lawyers charge $35.00 for an initial interview.
Contact Legal Aid: To seek help from the legal aid group Legal Services of Northern Virginia, visit https://www.lsnv.org or call (703) 778-6800.
If you are not in Northern Virginia, or need to find other groups, you can find a list of Virginia legal aid and help groups here, for more legal and financial assistance.
The information on this page is not legal advice.
Legal advice is dependent upon the specific circumstances of a person's situation.
Therefore, the information on this page cannot replace the advice of competent, local legal counsel. This is general information, and not specific advice.
Please contact a lawyer in Virginia to help you with your specific situation.