Are you considering representing yourself in license reinstatement after a DUI? You do have the option to do so, but it’s highly discouraged. Trying to get your license back after a revocation is a complicated process, and oversights could ruin your chances of succeeding.
You will need to include many facts, documents, and details in your petition, and some of them are very technical. If you don’t provide the board with the necessary details and your request is rejected, you won’t be able to try again for another year.
Furthermore, you might not have the legal requisites necessary to successfully navigate the process. In my case, I have more than 25 years of experience as an attorney, and nearly all of my work is in license restoration cases. In fact, I have a 95% win record in license restorations, and that doesn’t happen by chance.
Handling license restoration cases takes skill and experience, and you should consider hiring an attorney to help you in order to avoid pitfalls that may occur.
Processes and Details Required to Get Your License Back
In order to get your license back after a revocation, you have to submit a petition to the Michigan Secretary of State. That petition should be comprehensive, thorough, compelling, accurate, and honest.
If you are representing yourself for a license reinstatement, the following are only some of the elements you must or should include:
- General proof of your sobriety and your ability to drive safely
- Approximately five letters of recommendation from people who know you well and can attest to that sobriety
- Facts about any required substance abuse classes you attended since your license revocation
- Proof that you accurately and appropriately used an ignition interlock device if it was required
- A statement from a substance abuse counselor supporting your request to get your license reinstated
Potential Ramifications of Representing Yourself for a License Reinstatement after a DUI
Driver’s license restoration cases are not like other court cases. They are typically not held in a courtroom, but handled through the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.
It’s also not an issue of opposing sides arguing about what did or didn’t happen. In fact, there won’t even be another lawyer in the room arguing against you. That’s all in the past. At this stage, the only goal is to prove that you will be responsible behind the wheel, and your actions since the DUI will be used to determine if that appears to be true.
If you are representing yourself for a license reinstatement after a DUI, you will need to understand how this process works and be able to present all of the relevant details. You also should obtain a copy of your driving record for reference. In fact, simply navigating through how to submit your petition can be complicated and time-consuming enough.
If you don’t have a qualified, experienced license reinstatement attorney to help you, you may not know what information is needed and what is not. You may waste time and energy on issues that are not relevant while overlooking those that are.
No case is cut and dry; every case is different. Several factors may complicate your case, including:
- How many drunken or drugged driving violations are on your record
- Whether or not a crash was involved and/or anyone was injured
- Your overall mental and physical health, as this may require you to use doctor-prescribed medications which may influence your sobriety
- Any other civil or criminal matters you may have been involved in between the time of your license revocation and the hearing
These are only some of the many factors that may make it extremely challenging for you to represent yourself. Contacting a qualified attorney to help you is the preferred option. Please call me if you want to know more.