Individuals had an opportunity recently to reinstate their suspended driver’s licenses at the License Reinstatement Workshop organized by the Franklin County Municipal Clerk of Court’s Office.

Nearly 150 individuals attended this year’s event for assistance with their license suspensions. Of the 128 who were helped by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) that day, 80% left as valid drivers. It saved the individuals more than $28,000 in court fines, costs, and fees.

“This workshop gave individuals the opportunity to finally clear up existing court cases, apply to have their reinstatement costs lowered or forgiven, and leave the workshop with a valid driver’s license,” said Franklin County Municipal Clerk of Clerk Lori Tyack.

Top reasons for license suspensions include non-compliance with vehicle insurance requirements, failure to appear at a court proceeding, and non-payment of child support.

New Laws, More Events Also Lessen License Suspensions
Last year, more than 500 people were assisted during the municipal court event. Over the past year, new laws eliminating certain reasons for license suspensions went into effect, driving down the number of people with license suspensions who need to attend the annual event. Among the legislative changes was the elimination of an immediate driver’s license suspension for failing to pay a court fine or fee. People can now set up a payment plan with a clerk of court. The legislation also required the BMV and courts to lift prior suspensions for failure to pay fines or fees.

A separate program in place to address license suspensions in Franklin County are Tap-In Centers. The program, launched in fall 2024, offers events each month to assist people with arrest warrants for low-level, non-violent offenses.

Centralized Event Offering Multiple Services Helpful to People
This year’s License Reinstatement Workshop was held at a public library as a convenient, one-stop location for individuals to address these issues. Tyack said she prioritizes hosting the event with multiple resources at one location to reach more people who cannot travel to the court, the BMV, and possibly other organizations to reinstate their license.

“It is clear that our community needs these services, and we are dedicated to making our offices and our services more accessible to the public,” she said.

This was the sixth successful workshop hosted by the clerk’s office. A BMV representative and attorneys from Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio were available at the workshop to assist participants with the process.

Courts are encouraged to share news of events, initiatives, programs, and other announcements with Court News Ohio. Ideas can be submitted to CNO@sc.ohio.gov.