Arizona drivers license suspensions are issued by the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to drivers who fail to obey traffic laws and road regulations. Suspended or revoked drivers licenses may occur due to either driving-related or non-driving-related offenses. Drivers will need to begin a process of reinstating drivers licenses, if their driving privileges are suspended.

License holders will have to fulfill a list of driving license reinstatement requirements and pay the applicable fees. The steps of this procedure may vary depending on the violations committed. If you want to check your driver’s history, you may order a copy of your personal AZ driving record. For more information about how to reinstate suspended drivers licenses in Arizona, continue reading the sections below.

Reinstating an Arizona Suspended License

Offenders who have obtained suspended driving licenses in Arizona must apply for restorations in order to continue operating their motor vehicles. One can receive drivers license suspensions or revocations due to a variety of reasons, such as: failure to pay a traffic ticket, failure to appear in court, suspension for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), refusal or failure to submit to a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) test, violations of auto insurance laws, and other major traffic offenses.

Drivers need to reinstate drivers licenses once their suspension or revocation period is over. Find out all the details about an AZ driving license reinstatement procedure by reading the following section.

Before reinstating suspended drivers licenses in Arizona, motorists must satisfy a set of requirements that may vary depending on whether your license is suspended or revoked. Drivers will receive a suspension notice with a list of requirements they need to satisfy in order to reinstate their driving privileges. The AZ Motor Vehicle Division has divided the reinstatement processes for suspended driving licenses from that of reinstating revoked drivers licenses.

How to Reinstate an Arizona Suspended Drivers License

To reinstate suspended drivers licenses in Arizona, you first need to fulfill your suspension period and complete certain requirements. When reinstating suspended driving licenses as a result of failure to pay a traffic ticket or appear in court, you will need to follow the instructions written on your suspension notice, and contact the court to pay the applicable court fees.

Next, you will need to obtain a court clearance receipt or a Court Abstract form along with payments for the application and $10 for the drivers license reinstatement fee and submit it at a local MVD office. Suspended driving license reinstatement fees may be paid either online or by mail as long as a digital photo is on file with the AZ MVD. If you do not have such photo, you will be required to appear in person at a regional MVD office.

Note: Arizona drivers license suspensions may also require drivers to provide proof of future financial responsibility in situations where they have a suspended credential as a result of a DUI offense, an implied-consent suspension, or an insurance violation.

How to Reinstate an Arizona Revoked Drivers License

Before reinstating revoked drivers licenses in Arizona, motorists need to complete an investigation packet which contains several forms. Eligibility for reinstatement will be determined by an applicant’s responses in filling out the required forms within the packet.

Once allowed to reinstate a revoked driving license, drivers will receive a Permission to Reapply Notice in the mail. Drivers ought to follow the instructions on the notice and provide any additional documents needed for the reinstatement.

When reinstating drivers licenses, those with revoked credentials as a result of alcohol or drug offenses need to provide proof of future financial responsibility. The required documents need to be submitted to a nearby MVD office or to an authorized third-party provider. To reinstate driving licenses in Arizona, drivers will also need to pay a $20 reinstatement fee in addition to the application fee.

Suspension Periods in Arizona

The Arizona drivers license suspension period may differ according to the type of offense you have committed. For instance, if you fail to stop on a red light and you cause injuries to traffic participants, you will get a suspension period of three months.

You will have a suspended drivers license for six months if you fail to stop on a red light and you cause death to drivers or passengers. Committing these violations will require you to complete a Traffic Survival School (TSS) Program. Failure to do so will result in an indefinite drivers license suspension.

Failure to provide proof of financial responsibility will also get you a suspended drivers license for a period of three months for the first offense, six months for second offense within 36 months or one year driving license suspension for a third or subsequent offense within 36 months. A first offense for aggressive driving will suspend your driving privilege for 30 days, while a second offense within 24 months will get you a revoked drivers license for a period of 12 months.

Minor drivers will get suspended driving licenses for a period of two years if they are caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Driving under the influence of a nitrous oxide will suspend your license for six months for first offense, or 12 months for second and subsequent offenses.

Committing DUI offenses will bring you the following AZ drivers license suspension or revocation periods:

• First DUI offense: suspension for 90 days.
• Second and subsequent DUI offense: revocation for 12 months.
• Third DUI offense in a period of seven years – aggravated DUI: revocation for three years.

Arizona Point System

Having a suspended drivers license in Arizona may be due to the accumulation of too many demerit points on your driving record. The Arizona Motor Vehicle Division has a point system that determines the number of demerit points that each offense may bring you:

• DUI violation: 8 points.
• Reckless or aggressive driving: 8 points.
• Racing on highways: 8 points.
• Hit and run: 6 points.
• Failure to stop, causing injuries: 4 points.
• Speeding: 3 points.
• Other moving violations: 2 points.

You may get a driving license suspension as a result of the accumulation of eight or more demerit points in a period of 12 months. In situations like this, you are encouraged to enroll in a Traffic Survival School (TSS) Program.

Traffic School in Arizona

Getting a revoked or suspended drivers license in Arizona may be prevented by attending a Traffic Survival School (TSS) Program. This program is created for drivers who may get suspended driving licenses, who have been convicted of serious driving offenses or who have an accumulated too many demerit points.

The Arizona Chapter of the National Safety Council (NSC) offers traffic school programs to drivers who want to prevent a drivers license suspension or to reduce the number of demerit points accumulated on their driving records. Additionally, completing a driver improvement course in Arizona will help drivers dismiss their traffic tickets, earn car insurance discounts and become better traffic participants.

Types of Arizona Drivers License Suspensions

Drivers may receive drivers license suspensions in Arizona for numerous reasons, such as failure to answer traffic tickets or failure to comply with court summons. A suspended or revoked drivers license may be received as a result of:

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offenses.
• Reckless or aggressive driving.
• Failure to appear in court.
• Failure to pay a fine.
• Accumulation of too many demerit points.
• Commission of felonies while driving.
• Violation of insurance laws.

Arizona DUI Suspensions

Arizona drivers license suspensions or revocations can happen as a result of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and drugs. When getting a drivers license in Arizona you agree to the Implied Consent Law that you will submit to a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) test if you are arrested for committing a DUI offense.

Motorists will get revoked or suspended drivers licenses if they fail or refuse to submit to the BAC test. A one-year drivers license suspension will result for a first-time refusal of taking a BAC test when arrested for driving under the influence.

If you refuse the test a second time in a period of 84 months, your driving privileges will be suspended for a period of 24 months. Failing a BAC test, on the other hand, may also result in a suspended or revoked driving license, but the period is determined according to your age.

Older Than 21

Suspended drivers licenses in Arizona may be received as a result of failing a BAC test when arrested for driving under the influence. Drivers who are older than 21 years of age will be tolerated if they submit to the test and show a BAC level lower than 0.08 percent. However motorists will receive immediate drivers license suspensions if their BAC level is above the allowed limit.

Younger Than 21

Immediate suspended drivers licenses will be issued to motorists younger than 21 years of age who failed the BAC test. The smallest alcohol concentration in your blood will result in an Arizona drivers license suspension, no matter whether it is above or under the 0.08 percentage.

Car Insurance Suspensions

Suspended drivers licenses in Arizona may incur when motorists violate the car insurance laws. Drivers must purchase and maintain a minimum liability insurance coverage, which requires payments of $15,000 for bodily injury for one person, $30,000 for bodily injury for two or more people and $10,000 for property damage.

Failing to maintain car insurance will result in a car registration and/or drivers license suspension. Drivers can reinstate driving licenses in Arizona by paying certain fees and obtaining a proof of future financial responsibility.

Traffic Summons or Failure to Pay

Drivers may have suspended drivers licenses in AZ if they fail to respond to traffic tickets. If you want to reinstate driving licenses, you will be required to contact the court that issued the citation and pay the necessary court fees.

You will also need to obtain a court clearance receipt or a Court Abstract form, complete it and submit it at a local MVD office. In addition, pay an application fee and a drivers license reinstatement fee.

Arizona Hardship Drivers License

When facing suspended drivers licenses in Arizona, motorists may apply for hardship licenses which will allow them to operate motor vehicles in certain situations. Drivers with a suspended driving license will be allowed to operate their motor vehicles while holding a hardship (restricted) credential.

Motorists may drive with a hardship license between their residential places and a place of employment, a place of treatment or screening facility, an office of the probation officer, an office of a health-care professional or a certified Ignition Interlock Device (IID) service facility.

Applying for an Arizona Hardship License

Motorists with suspended drivers licenses may apply for a restricted (hardship) credential after a 30-day suspension period.

You must first determine your eligibility and then apply for a hardship license by visiting your local MVD office. Committing a DUI-related offense after February 1st 2006 will get you a suspended or revoked driving license in Arizona, but you will be able to apply for a hardship credential if you have:

• Verified your eligibility by contacting the Motor Vehicle Division.
• No actions awaiting on your driving record.
• Installed an Interlock Ignition Device (IID) and provided a proof of Verification of Installation to the MVD.
• Completed mandatory alcohol treatment programs and provided proof of completion to the MVD.
• Submitted proof of future financial responsibility to the MVD.
• Paid the applicable fees.

Fees to Reinstate an Arizona Drivers License

The process of reinstating drivers licenses in Arizona requires motorists to provide a set of documents and to pay certain reinstatement fees. Drivers with suspended, revoked or canceled credentials can make payments using their credit cards, money orders or cashier’s checks for the application fees which may vary depending on their age:

• $25 for drivers younger than 39 years of age.
• $20 for drivers between 40 and 44 years of age.
• $15 for drivers between 45 and 49 years of age.
• $10 for drivers older than 50 years of age.

In addition to the application fees, drivers will be required to pay drivers license reinstatement fees, which are subject to vary. Drivers can pay their reinstatement fees online or by mail if they have a digital photo on file with the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division. Having no such photo, you will be required to pay the fees in person at a regional MVD office.

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