Steps to Reinstate Your License After a DUI in Ottawa

Driving is regarded as a privilege not a right in Canada. As such, if you’re charged and convicted of impaired driving (DUI) in Ontario, you’ll typically have to deal with a significant suspension of this privilege.

Firstly, under the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario, you’ll receive an administrative license suspension of 90 days immediately upon your arrest for impaired driving. Next, a DUI conviction will lead to a court-ordered disqualification from driving. 

Licence reinstatement does not happen automatically in Ontario even after the suspension period officially ends. You’ll need to understand the licence reinstatement process, which we outline below.

Licence suspension after a DUI in Ontario 

DUI is known as “impaired driving” in Ontario—and you don’t need to blow over 0.08 BAC to be charged and convicted of the crime.

An automatic license suspension accompanies an arrest for impaired driving and this is the start of your problems. If convicted, you face fines, further disqualification from driving, and even jail time depending on whether you’re a repeat offender and other circumstances.

Driving without a license, whether due to suspension or otherwise, is considered a serious offence with severe consequences. 

So, if you’re faced with a suspension and you’re unsuccessful in challenging it (even with the assistance of a seasoned DUI defence lawyer), it’s best to respect the punishment, serve the penalty, and take the necessary steps afterward to reinstate your licence.

Steps to reinstate your driver’s licence in Ottawa

Even once your suspension period has ended, you cannot legally drive again in Ottawa until you have reinstated your licence.

This process is more complicated for court-ordered, DUI-related suspensions than for administrative suspensions.

You must follow these steps after waiting out the suspension period:

• Ensure any associated fines are paid

Be sure to pay any outstanding fines associated with your DUI before attempting to reinstate your licence in Ontario.

• Complete all required programs

This is the most time-consuming step but can generally be completed within the suspension period if you approach it the right way.

For alcohol- or drug-related offences like impaired driving, you will need to complete the Back on Track program. Enrollment costs $894 and you are responsible for this fee. The program may take up to 11 months to complete, including education, assessment, and a group treatment workshop with a follow-up interview after six months.

People convicted of DUI in Ontario may also need to complete the ignition interlock program once the suspension has ended to be eligible for license reinstatement. You can only drive a vehicle equipped with an approved ignition interlock system, which will prevent the vehicle from starting if you blow over a certain limit with the in-car breathalyzer (20 mg or less of alcohol per 100 ml of blood).

The program is mandatory, lasts for between one and six years (depending on how many prior offences against your name), and is costly: around $1,500-$2,000 per year.

• Present the right documentation

You can reinstate your licence online or visit a ServiceOntario centre. You’ll need to provide documentary proof that the suspension has been lifted. This could be a Notice of Suspension letter, a medical letter or an affidavit.

• Pay the reinstatement fee

The standard license reinstatement fee in Ontario is currently $281 but this is subject to change by Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation.

• Reapply for your driver’s licence and take tests (if necessary)

Depending on the terms of the suspension, you may need to apply for a new driver’s license and pass the necessary tests (see below).

• Obtain insurance

To drive legally in Ontario, you must have at least $200,000 in third-party liability coverage. This is mandatory car insurance that should be in place if you want to drive immediately after your license is reinstated.

How do I know if my licence has been reinstated?

To ensure that your licence has been reinstated and that you can drive legally again, check the status of your licence here. This is your responsibility to do before getting in your vehicle and potentially risking the criminal offence of driving without a licence.

Do you need to complete the ignition interlock program before reinstating your licence?

You don’t need to complete the ignition interlock program to reinstate your licence—because you need your licence to drive legally in Ontario, with or without an ignition interlock device fitted in your vehicle.

Instead, you need to register for the ignition interlock program as a condition of your licence reinstatement.

In some cases, registering for the program can shorten the length of license suspension:

• Drivers who plead guilty to a first-time DUI-related charge can reduce their licence suspension terms by three months. 
• First-time offenders who don’t plead guilty but fight their charge and are convicted may be eligible for a six-month decrease in their suspension term, depending upon the sentence. 
• Second-time DUI offenders who plead guilty may be eligible for a reduction of their three-year suspension to nine months.

It should be noted that any driver who commits an impaired driving-related offence while participating in the ignition interlock program will face new criminal charges, a new licence suspension, and expulsion from the program or an extension of it.

Do you need to take any tests before license reinstatement?

As mentioned, some people need to take tests and/or reapply for their license after a suspension. This depends largely on the length of the suspension.

Currently, the testing requirements in Ontario are as follows:

• One- to three-year suspension: vision test required
• Three- to 10-year suspension: vision test, written knowledge test, and two (G1 and G2) road tests required.
• 10-plus-year suspension: reapplication as a new driver, retaking of all tests, and subject to all mandatory waiting periods. 

Get help with reinstating your license in Ottawa

Driver’s licence cases may seem straightforward but delays and complications can cause inconvenience and misery for Ottawa drivers.

David Anber’s Law Office can help if you are having trouble with reinstating your driver’s license and restoring your driving privileges after a DUI in Ottawa.

To schedule a free consultation to speak with one of our experienced driver’s license suspension lawyers, call us toll-free at 1-888­­-989­­-3946 or contact us online.