Thousands of Oregonians are eligible to have their suspended driver’s licenses reinstated, thanks to mass clemency granted by former Gov. Kate Brown late in her term.
But nearly a year after the former governor forgave drivers whose licenses were suspended due solely to unpaid traffic violations, only a fraction of those eligible have taken advantage.
More than 8,300 people are eligible to get their licenses back under the governor’s order. But only 1,178 have had their driver’s licenses reinstated without restrictions, according to the DMV.
Of those who have not, nearly 4,500 might be just a $75 payment away from having their license reinstated, according to Kevin Glenn, an Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson.
The rest, though, are waiting for local and county courts to sign off.
The clemency order only applies to people whose licenses were suspended for unpaid traffic violations, such as speeding tickets. It doesn’t apply to people who have more serious traffic crimes on their record, such as driving under the influence of intoxicants. And, Glenn noted, people whose licenses are suspended in another state are also ineligible under this order.
In 2020, the Oregon Legislature passed a law to end the practice of suspending licenses for nonpayment of traffic fines. But the law didn’t erase existing fines, leaving more than 100,000 Oregonians with debt-based suspensions.
During testimony for that bill, the head of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission told lawmakers that analyses by both the Oregon State Police and the Criminal Justice Commission found that Black, Latino and Native American drivers are disproportionately fined for driving while uninsured or having suspended licenses.
Kelsey Heilman, an attorney with the Oregon Law Center, a legal aid service that works with low-income people who are trying to recover their licenses, said nonpayment suspensions can have a ripple effect on a person’s life — especially when those most affected already tend to have lower incomes.
“Not having a license makes life harder if you’re already poor,” she said. “You can’t get or keep a job. If you have an interaction with law enforcement while driving suspended, you get a new fine. It plunges people into a pile of debt from which it’s really hard to escape.”
Many of those now eligible to have their license reinstated might have no idea the option is available. Heilman urged people to check with the DMV to see if they’re eligible to get their licenses reinstated.
“I think a big part of why this order hasn’t had a tremendous impact is that people just don’t know about it,” she said.
Oregonians whose licenses were suspended because of unpaid fines can contact the Oregon DMV to find out if they’re eligible for reinstatement by calling 503-945-5000. They can also visit the agency’s online service center at dmv2u.oregon.gov, scroll down to the “Notify the DMV” section and click the “Ask the DMV a question” box. Or, if they have a driver’s license, permit, identification card, vehicle registration or vehicle title, they may be able to check their status by logging on to their profile on the DMV website, scrolling to “status check tools” and clicking on “check my driving privilege.”
Before the DMV will reinstate a license, it must receive clearance from the local or county courts that suspended it in the first place.
Brown’s order directed her staff to distribute lists of Oregonians included in the clemency to presiding judges in each court so they could “promptly” sign off.
But some haven’t done so, according to state records. The transportation department said some courts have withheld the required clearance, but an agency spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about which courts have done so.
Data from the DMV in October showed that 1,350 people still had suspended or revoked licenses because courts had not yet sent clearance notices to the DMV.
If a court declines to clear a person’s record, some law firms may be able to help fight those suspensions.
Heilman said the Oregon Law Center has written letters to some courts to shake loose the sign-offs, and that people who encounter problems with the courts should consider contacting a lawyer.
—Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com