Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Lawyers

Restore Your Michigan Driver’s License Without Having to Leave Home

If your Michigan driver’s license is taken away, so is your personal freedom. We understand how hard it is to deal with this blow, and how important it is for you to get your license back.

Even if your driver’s license has been suspended or revoked due to multiple drunk driving or drug related convictions, there is still hope.

Our experienced Michigan driver’s license restoration lawyers are here to help win your license reinstatement case.

Let us walk you through every step of the process to reinstate your Michigan driver’s license.

Let Us Help Restore Your Driver’s License Anywhere in Michigan From Our Office

Losing your Michigan driver’s license means more than just losing your ability to drive.

While it often impacts your work, your family, your friends–in essence, your entire life–it will also prevent you from getting a license in another state until the “hold” is removed from your driving record.

Your driver’s license may be suspended or revoked due to drinking and driving, drug related convictions, fleeing from an officer, or another reason.

Whatever the cause, your life won’t be the same until you can restore your driver’s license.

However, doing so on your own and without the assistance of a qualified attorney is both incredibly difficult and extremely frustrating.

And even worse, if you lose your appeal, you are required to wait an additional twelve months before you can file a new appeal.

By understanding that there are very specific requirements imposed by the Michigan Secretary of State, it is best to hire a law firm to handle the submission of your necessary paperwork, substance abuse evaluation, and character letters.

Our attorneys have successfully resolved countless driver’s license appeals. Let us help you before the situation gets even worse.

We will fully explain the process to you, and make sure that you are ready for the hearing to give you the best chance of winning and getting back on the road.

Reasons Drivers Lose their Michigan Driver’s License

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents lose their driver’s license. Your Michigan driver’s license may be revoked for a number of reasons, such as:

• Substance abuse or drunk driving (two convictions within seven years, or three convictions within ten years)
• Failure to respond to a Michigan traffic citation
• Committing a felony while using your vehicle
• Reckless Driving
• Failure to comply with a court judgment
• A determination that you are not physically or mentally able to drive a vehicle

Regardless of what caused you to lose your driver’s license, you need to submit a written or digital request to the Michigan Secretary of State as one of the first steps of the driver’s license restoration process.

Understanding the Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Process

Once your driver’s license is revoked, your driver’s license is literally taken from you. You will not drive again–in Michigan, or almost every other state. Your driver’s license will not automatically get reinstated, no matter how much time passes.

The only remedy to legally get you back driving again is to file an appeal with the Michigan Secretary of State. The purpose of this hearing is for you to prove that you are able to drive safely and in accordance with Michigan laws.

This review process is set out in Michigan vehicle law code 257.323. It shows that you can petition to appeal the judgment and request a driver’s license reinstatement.

Along with this request, you will need to submit a wide variety of documents, all within a specific timeframe. However, requesting a Michigan driver’s license reinstatement can be daunting and confusing for an individual unfamiliar with the process.

Why the Process for Requesting a Driver’s License Reinstatement is Difficult Without Legal Help

Your appeal must be submitted to the Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD) of the Michigan Secretary of State. The process for license reinstatement involves collecting and submitting several documents, many of which must be filed within specific timelines.

If you do not submit the required documents on time, your petition of appeal will most likely fail. If your appeal is denied, then you will need to wait a full year before you can launch a new appeal. This is not what you want to happen and neither do we.

This is how we assist clients like you by helping restore their ability to drive while making the process understandable:

• We will fully explain the process to you
• We’ll guide you through the entire process, from beginning to end
• We will navigate the preparation and admission of your required documents to obtain your appeal hearing
• We’ll work with you to make sure that all relevant documents are prepared and submitted in a timely manner
• We’ll assist you by successfully filing your request for your Michigan driver’s license reinstatement
• We will ensure that you are fully prepared and ready for your hearing

Thanks to the knowledge, experience, and insights of our driver’s license restoration lawyers, you’ll receive legal help that maximizes the likelihood of getting your license back as quickly as possible.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of trying to do this yourself or allowing an inexperienced attorney to handle your situation. You have too much at stake.

Instead, hire our skilled, experienced, and successful driver’s license restoration attorneys. We fully understand your case and know what to do at each step to maximize your chances of approval.

The First Step: Requesting a Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Hearing

The first step in the process of restoring your Michigan driver’s license is to request a Michigan driver’s license restoration hearing. And to request a restoration hearing, you must file your request with the Michigan Secretary of State’s Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD).

However, it’s important to note that this hearing is the first step in the state’s process to restore your license–but it’s not the first step that you need to take.

This is because you need to first put together all of the forms and paperwork required before you’re ready for this hearing.

Make no mistake: putting together correct and thorough paperwork is a huge, multipart task, and one that is critical to reinstating your license.

In fact, if proper attention is not paid to this process, mistakes made in the preparation of your forms can lead to the denial of your appeal.

Here are some of the key documents you’ll need at a Michigan driver’s license reinstatement hearing:

• Current substance abuse evaluation (dated within three months of appeal submission date)
• 12-panel drug screen
• Affidavit
• Three to six community support letters
• Proof of attendance at support meetings
• Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) report from your vendor (required only when seeking full restoration of your driver’s license)

Knowing how much detailed and time-consuming work is involved, it’s best to entrust the experienced driver’s license restoration lawyers from Friedman Law Firm to get this done right and on time, setting you up for the best chance of winning license reinstatement.

We’ll next get into some of the above documents needed to help you understand what a successful Michigan driver’s license reinstatement request looks like for you.

What Constitutes a “Current Substance Abuse Evaluation”?

One of the key documents that is required for your Michigan driver’s license reinstatement request is a current “substance abuse evaluation”.

This is a report prepared by a qualified professional that details if a person may have a drug or alcohol problem, and to what extent that problem affects them. This substance abuse evaluation report must be dated within three months of the date we submit your appeal, and it needs to include aspects such as:

• A statement of testing instruments used (i.e., MAST test, SASSI test, Addiction Severity Index)
• Test results
• Complete treatment and support group history
• Diagnoses, prognoses, relapse histories (including relapses that predate the start of the most recent treatment program)
• Descriptions of any life changes (including work environment and relevant lifestyle changes)
• Description of the support you intend to use to maintain sobriety

Knowing how important this substance abuse evaluation is to your driver’s license reinstatement request, our attorneys will be sure to review it before it is submitted to make sure your request has the greatest chance of approval.

Who Provides a Substance Abuse Evaluation in Michigan

Even if you’re confident that you’ll have no problems passing your substance abuse evaluation, it’s still not a simple process of receiving one for your driver’s license reinstatement request.

After all, this evaluation is not just someone’s opinion written on a piece of paper. In reality, it’s a document that includes a certified opinion from a licensed professional. That means you need to be ready to answer their questions before you meet with them–something that our attorneys can help you with to help ensure you’re ready.

On top of the above challenge, there’s the fact that not all evaluators complete their evaluations with the same standards and attention to detail. That means you need an evaluator that will provide the right information and in the right way to be approved by the secretary of state.

Again, our experienced attorneys can recommend several different substance abuse evaluators who understand this process and the requirements of the secretary of state in order to prevent any potential problems. If you still aren’t sure about these evaluations, we’re ready to provide more information or answer any questions you may have.

What Is Needed for Community Support Letters?

This part of the process is just as critical as any other part of the process. Yet, it is incredible to observe the minimal attention that is often put into the submission of these letters.

These are “testimonial” letters and can be from community members who know you well. They serve as “community proofs” and vouch that you abstain from alcohol and/or illegal drugs. They also are introduced to persuade the hearing officer of their confidence in your rehabilitation as well as your ability to soberly drive and operate a vehicle.

These letters can be submitted by family members, friends, co-workers, sobriety sponsors, or respected community members. However, a casual letter won’t suffice. Instead, they should include specific details your rehabilitation, progress, and recovery.

After these letters are drafted, we will ensure that these letters are helpful, explanatory, and useful to the appeal process. We can then ensure these letters are notarized.

We will also ensure that the proper points are being presented in these letters, such as discussing your history and/or habits as pertaining to drinking and/or use of drugs, both past and present.

Our attorneys will work with you, next to you, and be in your corner every step of the way throughout this process.

Appeal Process for Restoration of a Revoked Michigan Driver’s License

If you lost your license because of drug offenses, you cannot get your license back without attending a hearing and providing satisfactory evidence that you are remaining sober.

Our capable lawyers will start by submitting a request for a hearing through the Driver’s License Appeal Division of the Michigan Secretary of State.

We can guide you in collecting the necessary documents to present in your hearing. These documents include:

• Details of programs you have successfully completed
• Current (dated within 3 months of appeal submission date) substance abuse evaluation by a licensed counselor
• A 12-panel drug screen
• Affidavit
• Three to six community support letters that demonstrate your path to sobriety and other changes in character and/or behavior
• Statements from reputable character witnesses
• Inpatient treatment you have received to address your alcohol or drug abuse
• Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) report from your vendor (if seeking full restoration of your driver’s license)

If the revocation of your license is not related to alcohol or drug abuse, then our attorneys will prepare a strong case for reinstating your Michigan driver’s license. To assist in preparing the case, we may request:

• Documentation of driving classes
• Letters of support from your employer
• Statements from other credible members of the community

The DAAD will provide guidelines on the process, information and specific documents you’ll need, and what is expected of you during your hearing. Of course, our attorneys will be right there with you to help you understand the process.

For example, we’ll explain what questions to expect during the hearing to help you feel prepared and at ease. Along with this preparation, we’ll also take an active role in your hearing to maximize your request’s chances of approval by making sure the information presented at your hearing is clear and concise, supporting your competency as a driver and your commitment to lawful behavior.

Preparing for a Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Hearing

Once your paperwork has been successfully filed, we will then work with you to prepare you for the appeal hearing.

This is a crucial step in the license restoration process, since each hearing officer is different: while one hearing officer may view information or evidence as important, another may see it as having little to no significance.  In addition, one hearing officer may require certain proofs, while a different hearing officer may require something entirely different

In addition, the facts and circumstances of each appeal is different. Therefore, we must be flexible and knowledgeable as we guide you through your hearing, focusing on why you are worthy of regaining your driver’s license.

While the path to restore your driver’s license can feel overwhelming, our experienced attorneys have successfully handled these matters countless times before.

As a result, there is no obstacle that our attorneys haven’t already addressed. We are ready to utilize our collective knowledge to assist you and utilize to our clients’ advantage.

As the reinstatement hearing gets closer, we will tactfully challenge you by asking the tough questions in an effort to make certain that you are fully prepared.

And while many of the hearing officer’s questions may seem straightforward, the hearing officer is actually probing for information that will determine whether you can be trusted to operate a motor vehicle.

As your legal counsel, we’ll assist you in preparing well-thought-out answers that establish your credibility and commitment to change.

You can expect to field questions about:

• Your home living conditions
• Your personal relationships
• The influence others have over you
• Your past driving record
• Your past interactions with law enforcement
• Your drinking habits
• How you observe major celebrations
• Your engagement with substance abuse counseling and/or therapy

With years of experience representing Michigan drivers in driver’s license reinstatement hearings, we are well versed in questions and issues that will be asked of you by the hearing officer. By practicing your testimony with your attorney, you’ll build confidence and be ready for your hearing.

Reinstating Your Michigan Driver’s License

To prevail in a driver’s license reinstatement hearing, it’s crucial for you to prove that you can now be trusted as a safe driver. To do so, you will need to provide clear and convincing evidence that any and all substance abuse issues have been resolved.

To successfully present your position, it is not only important to focus on your strengths, but it can also be helpful to view your issues from the point of view of the Secretary of State.

Afterall, your assigned hearing officer will critically examine your evidence and testimony, looking to identify any reason to deny reinstatement. And if you are denied, you will not be able to reapply for another hearing for at least one year.

Once again, this is one more example showing why having experienced legal help can make an enormous difference for you. Time and again, those who try to navigate the appeal process on their own often end up wishing that they had hired qualified legal counsel from the start.

Our attorneys will guide the process of collecting relevant documentation and testimony, and use their experience to represent you in court to help you get back in the driver’s seat.

Stay Where You Are While We Help Restore Your Driver’s License From Our Office

We understand how much of an impact losing your license has had on your life. So to make things as easy, convenient, and expedient as possible, we offer the legal help you need to place you in the optimal position to restore your license.

We can work with you during office meetings, or by Zoom. In fact, since COVID, we’ve successfully worked with many clients that we’ve never even met in person.

Interestingly, your actual hearing will take place by video conferencing. Because we no longer need to drive throughout the state to attend in-person appeal hearings, we can represent anyone and anywhere throughout Michigan.

While we’ve got this process down pat, it’s important to note that it can take approximately three months to get your appeal hearing  date. So to not waste any time, let us start the process as soon as possible. If you are eligible now or anytime within the next three months, then we can begin working on the matter remotely, freeing you from having to come to our office.

Experience Gives Our Attorneys a Winning Edge in Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Cases

The consequences of losing your Michigan driver’s license are life changing. Your very livelihood could be at stake, not to mention your lifestyle and freedom. Too much is at risk for you to allow just any lawyer to handle your case, let alone trying to successfully navigate this entire process yourself.

You want your Michigan driver’s license reinstatement case handled professionally and thoroughly from the start. Our lawyers at the Friedman Law Firm have the experience and knowledge to help resolve your case and get your Michigan driver’s license reinstated.

Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Lawyers Who Understand What You’re Facing

Don’t get fooled by lawyers who do this type of work on the side.  Instead, hire our experienced attorneys who do this work on a daily basis.

Since our lawyers work on driver’s license reinstatement cases every day, the driver’s license attorneys from Friedman Law Firm have an in-depth understanding of every law, process, step, contributing factor, and any other advantage to help you get your driver’s license back.

Not only do we take pride in that depth of knowledge, but we’ve learned from past cases what is effective and what is not. That means clients like you will benefit from every ounce of our know-how as we work to ensure your final outcome is the best outcome possible.

With our attorneys working on your case, you will always receive our full attention, our hardest work, and our complete dedication to your case.

Our experienced license reinstatement attorneys are thorough professionals who know each Michigan law and know how to make it work for you. With every step in your case, we’ll put our decades of legal experience to work in representing clients regarding Michigan driver’s license issues.

Don’t Try and Restore Your Michigan Driver’s License the Hard Way

This fact cannot be overstressed: Individuals who do not retain qualified legal counsel to manage their Michigan driver’s license restoration oftentimes do not win their hearing.

Our experienced attorneys at the Friedman Law Firm not only understand how to make a difference with each aspect of the license reinstatement process, we also understand why you may hesitate to even retain an attorney for a driver’s license reinstatement case.

After all, some may be embarrassed to share the details that led up to them losing their driver’s license, while others mistakenly think that the rules and procedures pertaining to and the restoration of your driving privileges are simple and straightforward.

Unfortunately, the rules and processes are far from simple. We know this from experience as we have worked with hundreds of clients who believed their case to be so small and straightforward that a professional lawyer was simply not needed.

We’ve also worked with many individuals who knew they needed a professional attorney, but assumed the costs would be too high. The lawyers at the Friedman Law Firm understand your concerns. And we have handled and witnessed enough Michigan driver’s license reinstatement cases that we can tell you unequivocally: you do need professional legal counsel on your side to get the results you want, and we’re happy to help you get those results.

Schedule a No-Cost Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Consultation

A revoked driver’s license is a serious matter. Contact Friedman Law Firm today for help from our experienced Michigan driver’s license reinstatement lawyers.

We have the insights and experience to navigate the complicated application and driver’s license reinstatement hearing process. With our guidance and representation, you will have all the tools you need to successfully fight your case.

Let Our Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Attorneys Help

Call 248-932-0900 today – or use our contact form – to learn what Friedman Law Firm attorneys can do to help reinstate your Michigan driver’s license and regain your independence. We will be glad to explain our services, and talk about potential costs, proven benefits, and vital next steps with your case.