Driver's License Restoration

July 13, 2026

Michigan Repealed the Three-Year Ban for Repeated Driving-Without-a-License Violations: Who Is Eligible Now?

On April 2, 2025, one of Michigan’s harshest licensing penalties quietly disappeared. House Bill 5103, signed into law as Public Act 42 of 2024, repealed a rule that had barred thousands of people from applying for a driver’s license for three years at a time. The Michigan Department of State estimates that more than 3,000 residents became eligible to apply the day the law took effect. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson put the stakes plainly: “Michigan is a driving state. Without a license, so many opportunities and even necessities are out of reach.”

More than a year later, many of the people the repeal was meant to help still do not know it happened. Here is what the old rule said, what changed, and what still stands between some drivers and a valid license.

What the Old Three-Year Ban Actually Was

July 10, 2026

The Michigan License-Restoration Evidence Package: What Must Be Submitted and What Causes Rejection?

by Grabel & Associates

A Michigan license restoration case is largely decided by a stack of documents submitted before anyone says a word at the hearing. The hearing officer’s questions flow from that stack, and the answers get measured against it. A package that is complete, consistent, and current walks into the hearing with most of the work done. A package with gaps or contradictions leaves the driver spending the hearing explaining its problems.

What follows is the package for the most common case: a driver revoked after multiple alcohol- or drug-driving convictions, seeking restoration through the Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight. Not every piece applies to every case, and the differences matter, so each section notes when a document is required and when it is conditional.

The Legal Standard the Package Must Meet

June 16, 2026

OHAO, DAAD, and DAIS: What They Are, and Where a Michigan License Appeal Is Actually Filed

by Grabel & Associates

A person researching a Michigan license appeal will find instructions addressed to four different offices. One website says to file with the DAAD. An older guide mentions the DLAD. A form references the Administrative Hearings Section. The state’s own pages talk about OHAO and a system called DAIS.

The reality is simpler than the search results suggest. Most of those names describe the same office at different points in its history, and for anyone filing today, two terms carry the weight: OHAO is the office that decides your appeal, and DAIS is the system where you file it.

One Office, Several Names

June 14, 2026

Getting Your Driver’s License Back in Michigan: A 2026 Guide to Reinstatement and Restoration

by Grabel & Associates

A driver’s license is easy to take for granted until it is gone. Without it, getting to work, school, or a child’s doctor becomes a daily problem. Michigan’s process for getting back on the road has shifted in important ways over the last few years: the office that decides these cases has a new name, hearing requests have moved online, and a series of reforms has reopened the road for thousands of drivers who were stuck for reasons that had nothing to do with safety.

Here is where things stand in 2026, and where people still get stuck.

The Distinction That Changes Everything: Suspended vs. Revoked

January 14, 2020

Driver’s License Restoration Misconceptions: Its More Than Just Paperwork

by Grabel & Associates

If you have gotten to this point it has undoubtedly been a tough road. In order to apply for your driver’s license to be restored it means that it was taken away at one point. Most typically it was taken away due to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs multiple times. After all the time, money, and effort spent on staying sober and staying out of jail, you are finally ready to petition to get your driver’s license back. While on its face applying to get your license back seems easy enough, it is the nuances of the process which many times makes the determination if you get your license back, or if you have to wait another year before applying again. We will examine the basic requirements for the Secretary of State to hear your driver’s license restoration case and will note some things to watch out for and why having an attorney can be extremely beneficial.

Am I even eligible to apply for my driver’s license back?

Typically, you are eligible when at least one year has passed since your license was revoked. Your first step should be a trip to the Secretary of State to obtain an official copy of your driver’s record. That way we can help determine when you are eligible to apply for your license back.

April 9, 2019

Driver’s License Restoration Series: Letters of Reference

by Scott Grabel

If you’re ready to request a hearing to restore your driver’s license, you probably have had some help along the way. Friends, family, and coworkers may have given you rides while you did not have a license, listened as you worked through challenges of staying sober, and believed in you on those days you weren’t sure how you would make it without a license. We will lean on them one more time as we prepare for your hearing.

As part of your request packet, we will need to submit three to six letters of reference to the Office of Hearings and Administration Oversight. The hearing officer will read these letters to help determine whether you are safe to return to the road.

Your People

April 9, 2019

Driver’s License Restoration Series: Overview

by Scott Grabel

You lost your driving privileges, but you have been working hard since then to earn the right to drive again. Even though life has been more challenging without a car, you have persevered. You committed to sobriety and created the support systems that will help you stay sober. You have not succumbed to the temptation to drive without a license. You have navigated your day-to-day challenges while doing your best for a better future for yourself. It’s time to get you on the road again.

Restoring your driver’s license is a complex process, but you have already done the hardest part of the work. Let us make sure that hard work pays off. We have a 97% success rate in driver’s license restoration cases and are intimately familiar with each step you need to take to regain your driving privileges. You have earned and deserve the freedom that comes with a driver’s license. Here is how we will make sure you get it.

Eligibility

January 28, 2019

Driver’s License Restoration in Michigan

by Scott Grabel

Michigan is the birthplace of the automotive industry. Its cities, townships, and rural areas have been designed with cars in mind. While public transportation does exist in some areas, the system is often limited and disconnected. As a result, getting around without a driver’s license is challenging and time-consuming. It involves patience, planning, and creates a reliance on friends, family, and coworkers. The overall experience can be quite a burden. Yet, with proper legal representation, you can ensure that the inconvenience is only a temporary one.

Restoration Is Not Automatic

Unlike a suspended license, a revoked license is not automatically reinstated. To have a revoked license restored in Michigan, you must initiate an appeal process with the state. The bar is high; you must prove by clear and convincing evidence that:

August 18, 2017

Driver’s License Restoration: Eligibility Requirements

by Bill Amadeo

In Michigan, we have some of the most severe laws in our country when it comes to the punishment of drivers that have lost their license. Today will be the first in a series of articles that will discuss the topic of Driver’s License Restoration. We will begin by tackling the issue of the eligibility requirements for restoring your driver’s license once it has been revoked.

What are the rules for eligibility in the State of Michigan?

The first thing to keep in mind is the timing of asking to have your license restored. According to the Michigan Secretary of State, the rules state that one can apply for restoration 1 year after your first revocation or 5 years after any subsequent revocation within 7 years. While that timing seems harsh to many not in the legal profession, there are pitfalls that many people do not consider when dealing with this issue.

June 3, 2016

Reinstating a Driver’s License in Michigan

by Scott Grabel

An individual’s driver’s license may be revoked due to multiple convictions for driving under the influence (DUI); in some cases, a person’s license may be permanently revoked if that individual has been convicted for DUI repeatedly over a specific time period. Is it possible to get a revoked license back in Michigan? In most cases – but be warned, the process is very complex.

The first step you must take to have any chance of getting your driver’s license reinstated is to file a request with the Michigan Secretary of State’s DAAD (Driver Assessment and Appeal Division). However, there are certain guidelines that must be followed, and you cannot request a hearing at any time of your choosing. For example, if your driver’s license was revoked due to being convicted for DUI twice within seven years, you must wait for one year following the revocation before filing a request with the DAAD. If you were convicted on DUI charges three times within 10 years, you may file a request after one year has passed; however, if your license was revoked at any time during the seven (7) years prior to the ten-year period in which you were convicted three times for DUI, you will have to wait for five years to file a request. As you can see, determining when you may be eligible to file a request with the DAAD is quite confusing.