New Report on Driver’s License Suspension – Driven by Dollars: A State-By-State Analysis of Driver’s License Suspension Laws

Today, Legal Aid Justice Center released a new report, Driven by Dollars: A State-By-State Analysis of Driver’s License Suspension Laws for Failure to Pay Court Debt, about how states strip drivers’ licenses for unpaid court debt. The report is an important addition to the national conversation about Drivers’ License Suspension laws. Equal Justice Under Law contributed to the report — and also has two ongoing cases challenging such laws in Michigan and Montana.

The report states: “License-for-payment systems punish people — not for any crime or traffic violation but for unpaid debts. Typically, when a state court finds a person guilty of a crime or traffic violation, it orders the person to pay a fine or other penalty along with other administrative court costs and fees. If the person does not pay on time, the court or motor vehicle agency can — and in some states, must — punish the person by suspending his or her driver’s license until the person pays in full or makes other payment arrangements with the court.”

Executive Director of Equal Justice Under Law, Phil Telfeyan, says, “Losing a license is devastating. Unable to drive, people often lose their jobs or have a hard time finding employment, making it even more unlikely that they will be able to pay their debts to the state. This system traps people who are poor in an impossible cycle of poverty. It needs to end.”

The report is already receiving some national press — please check out a piece in the Washington Post and in The Detroit News.