Garfield Heights Municipal Court
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Reinstatement

When a license suspension expires, a person’s license is not automatically valid again. There are reinstatement requirements that must be met before a license becomes valid after the suspension period ends.
If a person is no longer under suspension but has not taken action to complete the reinstatement requirements, he/she cannot legally drive (unless the person only owes a reinstatement fee to the OBMV and the person has entered a pay plan with the OBMV directly or through a court which has also granted LDP’s).
A person whose suspension is over but who has not met the reinstatement requirements for that suspension has a license status of “Failure to Reinstate”. It is a crime to operate a vehicle under that status.
Reinstatement requirements depend upon the type of suspension the person was under. Some types of suspensions have several reinstatement requirements.
For example, a 12 point suspension is typically for a period of 6 months. However, a person cannot get a valid license again until the suspension is over and the person has paid a $40.00 reinstatement fee, taken a remedial driving course, filed proof of auto financial responsibility with the OBMV, and passed a driver’s license examination.
Common Reinstatement Requirements
  • Pay the OBMV a reinstatement fee. The amount can be between $15.00 and $475.00 in each case, depending upon the type of suspension
  • Show the OBMV proof of current auto financial responsibility
  • File proof of current auto financial responsibility with the OBMV and maintain it on file for a specific period of time
  • Complete a remedial driving course
  • Pass a driver’s license exam
  • Pay overdue child support
  • Obtain a license forfeiture suspension release from the court
  • Pay the amount of the judgment arising out of an auto accident which was not covered by insurance, up to an amount equal to the minimum auto financial responsibility requirement
To assist in reinstating a license or asking for limited driving privileges, Judge Deborah J. Nicastro and Magistrate Robert G. Walton have prepared the Reinstatement Handbook. Resources are available at the OBMV website.