Driving license suspensions in Oregon may happen in situations when motorists fail to obey state rules and road regulations. The OR Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend or revoke your driving credentials as a result of a variety of driving and non-driving offenses. Motorists may apply for drivers license restorations by completing a procedure that will help them reinstate their driving privileges.

This procedure involves satisfying certain driving license reinstatement requirements that may vary depending on the type and severity of the committed traffic offense. Find out how to reinstate suspended drivers licenses in Oregon by reading the sections below.

Reinstating an Oregon Suspended License

An OR suspended drivers license reinstatement procedure is mandatory when motorists want to regain their driving privileges for operating motor vehicles on public roads within the state. The Oregon DMV issues suspended or revoked drivers licenses for DUI offenses, for failure to take or for refusal of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test, for failure to appear in court, failure to pay traffic tickets or comply with a court order, failure to pay child support, or for excess in the number of allowed traffic violations and accidents.

In order to reinstate drivers licenses in Oregon, motorists must satisfy the reinstatement requirements that vary depending on the type of offense they have committed.

How to Reinstate an Oregon Suspended Drivers License

An Oregon suspended drivers license reinstatement process requires motorists to satisfy certain requirements and to pay the applicable fees. The OR DMV will mail notices to drivers, explaining the reason for suspension, revocation or cancellation of their credentials.

Instructions for reinstating driving licenses are written on your notice, along with a suspension code which determines the requirements you need to satisfy in order to restore your credential. Find out more information about your suspension code and the implied requirements by contacting the Oregon DMV.

Suspension Periods in Oregon

The periods of revoked or suspended drivers licenses in Oregon may vary depending on the type of offense committed and the number of previous convictions. Motorists will get a drivers license suspension period of 30 days for committing three convictions or accidents within 18 months, or four accidents or convictions within 24 months.

Drivers who are younger than 18 years of age will have a suspended driving license for a period of 90 days for committing two convictions or accidents. Motorists may get drivers license suspensions or revocations for DUI:

  • First conviction: one-year suspension.
  • A second conviction within five years: three-year suspension.
  • A third conviction of DUI felony: permanent revocation.

If you are unsure of the current status of your drivers license, order a copy of your personal OR driving record.

Oregon Point System

OR suspended drivers licenses cannot be issued to drivers for the accumulation of demerit points, because Oregon does not have a point system. However, drivers who commit traffic violations or receive traffic tickets will have them written on their driving records. A drivers license suspension may be issued to drivers who accumulate several traffic offenses in a given period of time, even though Oregon does not use a point system.

Traffic School in Oregon

Motorists with suspended drivers licenses in Oregon may enroll in a state-approved traffic school, which is known as a driver improvement program. The Oregon DMV created this defensive driving school program in order to help drivers reduce the number of traffic convictions on their driving records.

Attending a driver improvement program in OR will help you reduce the number of traffic convictions and accidents and to become a better and safer driver. This course offers additional knowledge to drivers who want to learn defensive driving techniques and to practice safe driving habits, in order to avoid future drivers license suspensions.

Types of Oregon Drivers License Suspensions

Drivers may face Oregon driving license suspensions or revocations as a result of many reasons, such as committing a variety of traffic violations and offenses. The OR DMV issues suspended or revoked drivers licenses for committing the following types of offenses:

  • Driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUI).
  • Failing or refusing to take the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test.
  • Failing to appear in court.
  • Failing to pay traffic tickets or comply with a court order.
  • Failing to pay child support.
  • Excessing the number of allowed traffic violations and accidents.

Motorist can check the status of drivers licenses by ordering copies of their OR driving records.

Oregon DUI Suspensions

The penalties for Oregon drivers license suspensions or revocations are very harsh when it comes to offenses such as DUI. The Oregon DMV will determine the severity of suspended driving licenses, according to the driver’s age, previous convictions and the type of offense committed.

Motorists may also receive driving license suspensions if they do not obey the Implied Consent law. This law gives permission to police officers to investigate your blood by conducting a BAC test if they suspect that you have been drinking and driving.

Older Than 21

Oregon suspended driving licenses may be issued to drivers who are requested to submit to a BAC test. This test will determine the alcohol level in the blood system. Drivers can get their credentials suspended if their alcohol level is 0.08 percent or higher when operating a motor vehicle.

Younger Than 21

Drivers license suspensions will be issued to motorists who are younger than 21 years of age and who have been drinking while driving a motor vehicle. However, minors are not allowed to have any amount of alcohol in their blood while driving behind the wheel. Therefore, minor motorists can easily get suspended driving licenses in Oregon, even if they drink a small amount of alcohol.

Car Insurance Suspensions

An Oregon drivers license suspension may occur as a result of failure to provide proof of auto insurance when asked by a law enforcement official. Therefore, drivers are required to purchase and maintain minimum car insurance liability coverages before operating their motor vehicles. To avoid facing a suspended driving license, motorists are required to pay $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for bodily injury to others in a crash, and $20,000 for property damage in a crash.

In addition to a drivers license suspension, motorists may also be required to pay certain fines or get their vehicle towed, which implies paying of towing and storage fees. To avoid getting OR suspended driving licenses, convicted motorists will have to submit proof of future financial responsibility to a local DMV office for three years. The same proof must be submitted as part of a drivers license reinstatement procedure, if your credential had been suspended.

Traffic Summons or Failure to Pay

Oregon suspended driving licenses may be issued to drivers who fail to pay court fines or traffic tickets. A drivers license suspension may occur unless you arrange payment for your traffic ticket or court fine in the given time-frame. The Oregon Judicial Department offers an online payment service for paying the fines or tickets that apply to your case.

This service accepts Visa credit cards, MasterCard and debit cards for payments of the fines and processing fees. Drivers may continue with an OR driving license reinstatement process after paying the court fines or traffic tickets.

Oregon Hardship Drivers License

Before reinstating driving licenses in OR, motorists may be eligible to apply for a hardship or probationary credential, depending on the offense committed. Drivers with a suspended driving license may obtain a hardship credential, while motorists with revoked driving privileges may apply for a probationary permit.

The hardship and the probationary permits allow drivers to operate their motor vehicles to and from work, to drive as part of their jobs, to search for a new job, to participate in an alcohol or drug rehabilitation program or to get a required medical treatment.

Applying for an Oregon Hardship License

Drivers facing suspended or revoked driving licenses in Oregon may apply for either a hardship or a probationary credential. They only need to do the following:

  • Complete a Hardship/Probationary Permit Application.
  • Collect the required documentation for the class of license they are applying for.
  • Pay the application fee.

Once the required documents and payment are compiled, applicants must mail them to the Oregon DMV Headquarters and wait approximately 10 days for a response.

Fees to Reinstate an Oregon Drivers License

Part of the Oregon drivers license reinstatement process is paying the required fees to the DMV. The OR driving license restoration fees are $75 regardless of whether you have suspended or revoked credential or whether there are many actions against your driving privileges.

Once the requirements are met and the applicable fees are paid, drivers will regain their credentials and will be permitted to continue legally operating their motor vehicles. The fees for reinstating drivers licenses in Oregon can be paid with cash, checks, debit cards, or credit cards.

Last updated on Tuesday, March 3 2020.