Lost Your Driver’s License Over Debt? Ohio Now Has a Fix.

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5:35 PM EST

12/19/2024

The Marshall Project and News 5’s investigation inspired a bipartisan bill to address the license suspension crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of Ohioans.

Illustration of the Marshall Project; Photography by Maddy McGarvey for The Marshall Project

HHundreds of thousands of Ohioans may soon be back on the road after lawmakers this week passed sweeping reforms that address the state’s driver’s license suspension crisis.

The legislation follows a The Marshall Project – A Cleveland Investigation and WEWS 5 News Which found that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles issued nearly 200,000 new license suspensions in 2022 for debt-related reasons such as failure to pay court fines or failure to make child support payments.

Amid a flurry of legislative activity this week in Columbus, House Bill 29 It was passed late Wednesday. The bill now goes to Gov. Mike DeWine, who is expected to sign the measure into state law.

Julian Khan, who owes thousands in fees and fines after his license was twice suspended for driving without insurance, praised the organizations that championed the bill on behalf of many Ohioans.

“This is a real victory for all people with lived experience,” Khan said. “It’s long overdue. This is a big development. This is a big win.”

Once the legislation becomes law, Ohio will join neighboring states that have eliminated debt-based suspensions in recent years, according to the advocacy group. Fines and Fees Justice Center.

Ohio is currently one of more than 20 states that does so Suspension of licenses For non-payment of civil or criminal fees and fines.

The Justice Action Network, a national, bipartisan organization dedicated to improving the criminal justice system, worked with several partners in Ohio to push for changes to state law.

“House Bill 29 is a huge bill that will benefit workers, employers and communities in Ohio,” Executive Director Lauren Cresay said Thursday. “It will change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”

After the Marshall-Cleveland Project and WEWS News 5 published their investigations last year, lawmakers spent months rewriting a proposed law to incorporate parts of the media’s findings.

State Sens. Louis Blessing, Republican from Colerain Township, and Katherine Ingram, Democrat from Cincinnati, Introduced Senate Bill 37 Late last year. The renewed proposal would help hundreds of thousands of people regain their driving privileges. The Ohio Senate passes the bill in 2024.

The second measure, House Bill 29, passed the Ohio House, and through negotiations, several components of the Senate bill were combined to create the final legislation that passed this week.

Blessing said he expects DeWine to sign the bill into law. The senator called the measure a “major victory” for a diverse coalition of advocates who pushed for change. A spokesman for DeWine did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

“This will be extremely beneficial to low- and moderate-income Ohioans, helping them avoid the debt trap and losing the ability to provide for their families,” Blessing said in a statement Thursday.

“It is also a win for employers who previously lost valuable employees when they lost the ability to drive.”

Ohio had more than 3 million active license suspensions as of September 2022, the news organizations’ analysis found.

While some supporters of the bill applauded its passage, others say more work needs to be done to fully address the crisis.

“It’s not the perfect bill, but it’s a start,” said Rep. Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland, who co-sponsored the bill in the House. “There is more work to be done, and more work will be done.”

The approved bill would eliminate a license suspension for failure to pay a fine or court fees. It also eliminates school absence as a reason for license denial or suspension.

Supporters of the bill say:

• Removes a license suspension for failure to pay a fine or court fee without charging a reinstatement fee.
• Eliminates the potential penalty of license suspension in most minor cases of drug offense.
• Reducing the review period for driving without insurance violations to be considered repeated violations from five years to one year.
• A person whose driver’s license has been suspended for failure to pay child support is allowed to apply to the court for driving privileges.

The Ohio Poverty Law Center, which lobbied for the bill, said the measure could retroactively affect hundreds of thousands of drivers, the majority of whom have lost driving privileges simply because they lack the money to pay the associated debt.

“Having a valid driver’s license is essential to participate in Ohio’s economy and earn the funds needed to settle existing debts,” the group said in a statement.

However, this legislation will not help people like Theresa Smith.

Her license was suspended after a friend borrowed her car without permission and crashed it, making her financially liable under state law. The accident led to two license suspensions, and the state required Smith to buy high-risk insurance that costs her $3,300 a year. She said the fees forced her into bankruptcy.

Still, the retiree squealed happily down the phone when the Marshall-Cleveland Project told her that lawmakers had passed the legislation. She said the new law could help her husband, who owes hundreds of dollars in unpaid court fines and fees and is scheduled to appear in court in January.

“I’m very happy,” Smith said. “This is what I am happy about. This means a lot to us. It is a start in the right direction. Hallelujah!”