If you’ve lost your license but need transportation for survival, a hardship license may be your best option. A hardship license is issued when your normal driver’s license has been revoked or suspended. It allows you to drive, but only under certain circumstances and for approved reasons — mainly to get back and forth to work. You must prove that the lack of a driver’s license is causing hardship for your family.
“There are many reasons that your license could be suspended — driving without insurance, piling up tons of tickets and even not paying your child support — but the majority of hardship licenses are issued to DUI offenders,” says Shane Fischer, a Florida attorney.
- A hardship license is a limited driver’s license option for commuting to essential locations when your license has been revoked or suspended.
- Most hardship licenses provide approved travel to work, school, daycare and medical providers.
- Getting a hardship license can take months, requirements vary by state and they can be hard to monitor effectively.
What is a hardship license?
Losing your driver’s license can significantly impact your ability to commute. When your license has been suspended or revoked for serious driving offenses, such as driving under the influence, excessive unpaid tickets or other legal issues, you lose your ability to drive for a specified period — months or years.
When you can’t commute daily to your job, school or other necessary locations, you may struggle to make ends meet or get your family to where they need to be. This could be cause for a hardship license. A hardship license, or restricted license, is an option that provides you with limited transportation options — from work and school.
This special license allows you to meet your obligations so you don’t lose your job and meet other necessary obligations that require transportation. To get a hardship license, you must prove to the court or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that it’s necessary for daily obligations. In addition to work or school, it could involve commuting kids to daycare, receiving medical care or participating in outpatient rehab.
What are the requirements for a hardship license?
Once you’ve determined that you need a hardship license, how you get it depends on where you live. The requirements vary by state, and the process takes time. Based on your state’s requirements, you may have to submit documentation, go to court and follow your restricted license limits.
In Illinois, for example, drivers must send a written request to the Secretary of State, attend a hearing, and also complete any required courses or counseling. Florida requires taking and passing a 12-hour traffic school course.
Once you have been approved for a hardship or restricted driving permit (RDP), as they call it in Illinois, you are legally driving, but there are many restrictions, including the following:
- You can drive to approved locations, usually work, daycare, school and specific stores for errands.
- Many states assign a nighttime curfew. Your hardship license will be revoked if you’re caught driving after hours or for unapproved reasons. Most states don’t offer second chances.
- You must show proof of car insurance before a restricted license is issued. If a DUI is involved, most states also require an SR-22 from your insurer, verifying your insurance coverage. If you drop your coverage, the DMV is notified and your restricted license is revoked.
But hardship enforcement is difficult. There is no cost-effective way to monitor hardship drivers, and it is up to the discretion of the police officer who pulls you over to decide if you are within the limits of your restricted license.
How long does it take to get a hardship license?
Getting a hardship license isn’t a quick process. In some states, there is a mandatory waiting period before a DUI offender can apply for a hardship license, typically 45 to 90 days. Many states limit hardship licenses to first-time DUI offenders. Other states, like New Jersey and Rhode Island, don’t offer a hardship program.
Nothing about a hardship license changes the penalties for the offense that got you into trouble in the first place, Fischer says. Any requirement for alcohol counseling or classes or an ignition interlock device remains in place.
Will your insurance rates go up?
License suspensions are not created equal.
An administrative suspension — one stemming from an unpaid traffic ticket or back child support — is typically seen as a minor offense and not have a huge effect on rates.
If the underlying cause of the suspension is a DUI, your rates usually go up dramatically if you can find a company to insure you.
A DUI conviction stays on your motor vehicle record for at least five to seven years in most states, so the pain will continue at each renewal even after the suspension has ended. New Mexico leaves it on your record for 55 years, though your insurance company usually won’t look back that far.
— Mark Vallet and Katrina Raenell contributed to this story.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Ask the Insurance Expert
John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.