In Michigan, if you have been convicted for drunk driving multiple times, your driver’s license can be revoked for the rest of your life. But this is not true for all repeat offenders because it depends on the number of drunk driving convictions within a given time period. Even if your license has been revoked, there is a way to request restoration of your license through the Driver Assessment and Appeal Division and the Michigan Secretary of State’s office. The criteria applicable for such requests as following:

• In case you have two convictions for drunk driving within the past seven years, your license may be revoked but you may be eligible to request restoration through a hearing held by the DAAD office after one year.
• Your license may also be revoked for life if you have had three drunk driving convictions within the past ten years. But after one year or five years, you can request restoration through a DAAD office hearing.
• However, if within the past seven years, you have had a prior revocation, then your license will remain revoked for five years before you can request a restoration.

To request a hearing, you have to request for one Secretary of State’s Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD). It is important to have all your documents in order when you apply for this because in case your request is rejected, you will be barred from requesting a new one for a full year. This is why it makes perfect sense to hire a lawyer before this process and take their help to ensure the accuracy of your documents.

Generally, you will need current substance abuse evaluation that has been submitted by a qualified professional. This evaluation should be accompanied with a copy of the written testing instruments along with your answers to this test. This test is useful to help properly diagnose an alcohol or drug problem, if any exists. Your therapist will choose from among the MAST test, Addiction Severity Index or the SASSI test. In addition, you should also get a ten panel urinalysis.

An experienced lawyer will help you understand the exact burden of proof that comes after your license has been revoked due to multiple drunk driving convictions. This implies that the officer hearing your request must be convinced without doubt that you don’t have any alcohol or drug problem. Hearing officers are looking for reasons to deny your request which is why an experienced lawyer becomes crucial for your hearing.

Remember that complete abstinence is required in order for your license to be restored. You must be able to testify under oath that your system has been completely clean of alcohol and drugs in the past whole year. Your lawyer can guide you on what this means and who can carefully scrutinize your documents to make sure that there are no loopholes. In fact, if your documents are not perfect or if you cannot show complete abstinence, your lawyer may even advise you to request for a hearing at a later more optimal time when your evidence is more compelling.