WASHINGTON (December 20, 2024) – NLADA applauds the passage of Ohio H.B. 29 which ends driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay court fines and fees in minor misdemeanor and other traffic cases in Ohio.
Civil Legal Services Division Chief Anne Sweeney submitted written testimony to the Ohio House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee in support of Ohio SB 37 on December 11.
In the testimony, Sweeney writes that twenty-nine states have eliminated or significantly curbed driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay fines or fees, including Montana, New Mexico, New Jersey, and Georgia. SB37 will move Ohio into the group of states that recognizes the counterintuitive and problematic aspects of suspending a driver’s license for unpaid debt. “The benefit of SB37 is that a person who owes court fines and fees would be able to continue lawfully driving to work to earn the money necessary to make payments.”
SB 37 also modifies penalties for driving without insurance. Ohio’s current penalties for driving without insurance make it nearly impossible for people to recover from a suspension,” said Sweeney. “The costs trap many in a cycle of debt and non-compliance. SB 37 reduces the look-back period from five years to one, limits SR-22 insurance requirements to a year, and creates a 45-day grace period to provide proof of insurance.”
Reform to end debt-related driver’s license suspensions has received bipartisan support nationwide because it is smart public policy. In Ohio, SB 37 will make it easier for more drivers to stay employed, pay what they owe to the court, and maintain insurance.
For more information about NLADA’s advocacy efforts or to interview Sweeney, please contact Rabiah Burks at [email protected].
NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG
