Driver’s License Restoration
Without the ability to legally drive to school, work, or appointments, community members with suspended licenses face significant barriers to employment, education, and opportunity. Through our Community Empowerment Project, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps low-income N.C. residents who qualify to restore their driver’s license and return to driving legally.
One in seven North Carolina residents have a suspended driver’s license. Courts can suspend licenses for a variety of reasons, including as non-driving related consequences. Without access to representation and funds to pay for court fees and apply for restoration, these consequences could remain permanent and lead to collateral repercussions such as misdemeanor convictions and even incarceration. Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy directs and advises eligible clients on how to restore their driver’s licenses in accordance to new fines and fees forgiveness initiatives and North Carolina law.
What is Driver’s License Restoration?
Driver’s license restoration is the reinstatement of a driver’s license after it has been revoked by the court for a variety of driving and non-driving related reasons such as running stop signs, speeding, and non-payment of court fees and fines.
The Mecklenburg County district attorney has forgiven over 11,000 residents’ traffic fines and court fees. This includes residents who had minor traffic offenses and could not afford to pay their fine or fee for at least two years. To check if your traffic fine or court fee was eliminated, please check the North Carolina Fair Chance database.
Get Help
Currently, we are limited in our capacity to accept new cases for driver’s license restoration. While we are working to reopen this program to everyone, interested individuals should request a free advice letter from the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center by completing the form linked below:
Request a Driver’s License Restoration Advice Letter
This form as well as additional information about driver’s license restoration can also be found at ncfairchance.org.
To qualify for our services, you must:
* Live in Mecklenburg County
* Earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level
* NOT have any pending traffic charges
We cannot assist clients seeking driver’s license restoration for an out-of-state license.