House Bill 29, legislation enacted in December 2024 and signed into law in January 2025, goes into effect on April 9, 2025. As a result of the new law, driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay a court fine or fee will be eliminated and will begin to be automatically removed from a driver’s record retroactively, without the imposition of reinstatement fees.
Ohio drivers with a suspended license for failure to pay a fine or fee should check their driving record and update their current address on file with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) to make sure they get important notices. They can also contact the court that ordered the suspension or the local BMV Registrar's office with questions about getting that suspension removed.
The information below provides a short summary about the new law and how it could affect you. This helpful guide from The Marshall Project also provides a form to ask questions and get answers about the new law.
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland's report, “Road to Nowhere: Debt Related Driver’s License Suspensions in Ohio” played a key role in the statewide advocacy to eliminate debt-related driver's license suspensions. Read the full report here: lasclev.org/RoadToNowhereReport.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
My license is suspended because I didn’t pay a court fine or fee. How does the new law affect me?
- If your license is suspended because you failed to pay a court fine or fee, your suspension should be removed. The Ohio BMV will mail letters to drivers with information about which suspensions will be removed.
- Going forward, courts will no longer be able to suspend a driver’s license for failure to pay a court fine or fee.
Should I do anything now?
- Make sure the BMV has your current address so you can receive important notices. You can update your address on the BMV’s website.
- You can also:
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- Look up your unofficial driving record online or call 614-752-7600 or 844-644-6268 to have information mailed to you.
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- If you have a suspended license for failure to pay a fine or fee and you don’t want to wait for a letter from the BMV, you can contact the clerk for the court that ordered your suspension and ask about getting that suspension removed.
If I don’t hear from the BMV about my suspension, can I start driving again?
- Drivers are strongly encouraged to get confirmation from the BMV that their suspension has been lifted and their license is valid before they start driving again. There may be additional steps that the driver must take before they can legally drive again.
Once my suspension is removed, how do I get my license back?
- You should receive a letter from the BMV that will include the steps you need to follow to restore your license. If your nonpayment suspension is removed, you should not be charged any fees to get your license back.
- If you have additional suspensions for reasons other than nonpayment, such as a DUI, the letter should identify which suspensions will be removed and which will remain.
- If your suspended license has been expired for more than six months, you may have to retake the driver’s test.
I’m already on a payment plan to reinstate my license. Should I keep sending money?
- Yes. Do not stop making payments until you get a letter from the BMV that confirms your suspension has been removed. If you stop paying too early, your license could be suspended again.
- Fees related to nonpayment suspensions should be automatically removed within 30 days.
What’s a registration block and will those be dropped?
- Courts can block a driver’s ability to update their vehicle registration and get license plate stickers. Under the new law, courts will no longer be able to do that when a driver fails to pay fines or fees. Registration blocks based on nonpayment of a court fine or fee should also be removed.
What else does the new law change?
- Courts will no longer suspend driver’s licenses for drug abuse, which is a minor offense, unless the person is also convicted of making or selling drugs, and they used a vehicle as part of that crime.
- Driver’s licenses will no longer be denied or suspended for school truancy.
- People who have suspensions for not paying child support can ask local courts for driving privileges by filing a motion.
- It reduces the lookback period for imposing higher penalties for repeat offenses of driving without proof of insurance from five years to one year.
- It reduces the time that a person whose license was suspended for driving without proof of insurance must keep an SR-22 certificate from three or five years to one year.
- See a more detailed breakdown of the new law here.
Updated April 9, 2025