From Pilot to Policy: Making Amnesty Permanent

Ohio House Bill 285, sponsored by Representatives Juanita Brent and David Greenspan in the 133rd Ohio General Assembly, established a permanent Driver's License Reinstatement Fee Debt Reduction and Amnesty Program. This bill, signed into law in 2020, expands eligibility for fee waivers and reductions for low-income Ohioans with suspended licenses. It also includes provisions for appealing denied applications and requires the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to explain denials. The legislation follows the successful 2019 six-month Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Initiative supported by Ohio Poverty Law Center. In its first two years as a permanent program, approximately 222,716 Ohioans participated, saving a total of $136,330,155 in reinstatement fees, for an average savings of $612.12 per person.