Eliminating Driver's License Reinstatement Fee (H 7125)

The ACLU of Rhode Island supports this bill, which would eliminate the requirement that individuals pay hefty reinstatement fees — up to $350 — in order to get their right to drive restored after their license has been suspended or revoked. We suspect that the current law may have the perverse effect of encouraging some individuals who are eligible for license reinstatement to instead start driving on their suspended license because they can’t afford the reinstatement fee. These reinstatement fees unnecessarily impose a substantial financial burden on residents who have complied with all that needed to be done to get their license back and need their car for work and other essential related services. We therefore support this legislation for eliminating this financial barrier to license reinstatement