License Restoration & NC DMV Hearings

Winston-Salem License Restoration and the NC DMV Hearing Attorneys

Get Your North Carolina License Back on Track

Facing a suspension, revocation, or ignition interlock violation? Our Winston-Salem DMV hearing attorneys know how to assess your record, restore your driving privileges, and protect your future. Talk to a lawyer today—before your deadline passes. Call Now for a FREE Quote

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Winston-Salem License Restoration and the NC DMV Hearing: Expert Summary

McMinn, Fradin, Gray & Logan’s Winston-Salem DMV hearing attorneys help drivers restore or protect their North Carolina licenses using a clear three-step process: Assess, Fix, Apply. First, they obtain and review your complete NC DMV driving record to identify exactly why your license is suspended or revoked, including failures to appear, unpaid tickets, DWIs, refusals, ignition interlock violations, and points issues. Next, they work to fix the underlying problems—adding old tickets back on the court calendar, striking failures to appear, filing motions for appropriate relief, or guiding you through paying overdue costs—so you’re eligible for restoration. Finally, they apply for a DMV hearing and/or a court-ordered limited driving privilege, advise you on tight hearing deadlines (especially for ignition interlock violations), and help navigate DMV hearing fees so you have the best possible chance to get back to driving legally.

An NC DMV hearing is a formal administrative review held by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles to decide whether your driver’s license should be suspended, revoked, or restored. You may need a hearing if you are under a one-year, two-year, or permanent revocation, if you refused a chemical test, or if you’ve been notified of an ignition interlock violation or other serious license issues. The attorneys at McMinn, Fradin, Gray & Logan review your driving record and tell you whether a DMV hearing, a limited driving privilege, or both are appropriate in your case.

The best way is to get a copy of your NC DMV driving record. This record lists all entries the DMV says are keeping you from getting your license restored, including court locations and case numbers on any holds. You can order the record yourself by mailing a $10 check and your identifying information to the NCDMV Driver License Records Unit, or McMinn, Fradin, Gray & Logan can obtain it for you for a small fee and review it during your appointment. Once they see your full history, they can accurately explain what needs to be fixed.

The firm’s attorneys can help resolve many underlying problems that lead to suspension or revocation. This can include adding old traffic tickets back onto the court calendar and handling them, seeking orders to strike failures to appear, filing motions for appropriate relief to overturn certain prior convictions, or guiding you through paying overdue court costs. In some cases, simply fixing these issues may allow you to go back to the DMV and obtain a new license without further action.

Yes, in many situations you may still qualify for a court-ordered limited driving privilege, even if your license remains revoked after all fixable issues are addressed. For example, under NCGS 20-20.1, some drivers with a revocation can obtain limited driving privileges that allow them to drive for essential purposes. McMinn, Fradin, Gray & Logan evaluates your record to see whether you qualify, and may recommend applying both for a limited driving privilege in court and a DMV hearing to pursue full restoration.

North Carolina charges administrative fees for DMV hearings, generally ranging from around $200 to $450 depending on the type of hearing. Examples include $200 for a commercial driver’s license disqualification hearing, $425 for a DWI-related license restoration, and $450 for refusal to submit to chemical analysis or ignition interlock violations. If you had a valid license at the time you received the suspension notice and you made a timely request for a hearing, you usually retain your license and driving privileges until the hearing takes place.

Winston-Salem License Restoration and the NC DMV Hearing Attorneys

If your driver’s license has been suspended or revoked or is about to be revoked or suspended, there are many times opportunities to contest the suspension through an NC DMV hearing. You can also possibly apply for a court-ordered driving privilege.

There are three basic steps to getting you driving again: Assess, Fix, Apply! 

1. Assess the complete situation accurately to determine what caused the suspension and how to fix it.
2. Fix all matters that cause the suspension, so you become eligible for either a hearing or a limited driving privilege.   
3. Apply for an NC DMV Hearing or petition the Court for a limited driving privilege.

NC DMV Hearing Step 1: Assess

In order for our DMV hearing attorneys to accurately assess why your driver’s license is suspended, we will need to review a copy of your NC DMV Driving Record. You can order this in advance and bring it in for a Free DMV assessment.

To order your NC driving record you will need to mail a check for $10.oo to the NCDMV, Driver License Records Unit, 3113 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27697-3113. Be certain to include your full legal name, your NC Driver’s license number, date of birth, and social security number. Once you receive the printed record, schedule a meeting with one of our attorneys to assess your options. If you like, we can order your record for you for a small fee and review it the very day you make your appointment.  

In Winston-Salem, NC, your driver’s license may be suspended or revoked by the DMV for a number of reasons, including:  

• Failing to appear in court; even on a minor (seatbelt) ticket
• Failing to pay (even a minor) ticket
• Speeding
• Getting a minor ticket when you are already revoked for something else
• Two speeding tickets in a year
• DWI conviction
• Refusing to take a blood or breath test if there is probable cause to charge with DWI
• An Ignition Interlock Violation
• Speeding to elude, or speed competition, or  
• Accumulating 12 driver’s license points

Here at McMinn, Fradin, Gray & Logan, we regularly advise clients just like you how to apply for a hearing or a limited driving privilege depending upon the specifics of your record and what makes the most sense for you.   

Your Winston-Salem Driving History will include any entries the DMV says are keeping you from getting your license restored. Your record will also tell us the court number and location of all holds on your driver’s license. It is only after we have assessed your full driving history that we can accurately explain to you how to fix the problems.

This plan may be as simple as getting old speeding ticket cases added back on in court and handled, or it could show that you are permanently revoked and need a hearing at the DMV. It could show that, even if you are revoked, you may qualify for a court-ordered limited driving privilege under NCGS 20-20.1. We will develop a comprehensive plan on how to get you driving again.   

NC DMV Hearing Step 2: Fix

Once we have all of your driving history to review, and we develop our plan, we then advise you on the exact process and costs included in fixing the issues. Suppose your Driving Privilege is only revoked “indefinitely”. In that case, there is a good possibility that if we correct all of the underlying issues, you simply go to the DMV and get a new Driver’s License. If, on the other hand, you are already under a one-year, two-year, or permanent revocation, then we may need to look into a limited driving privilege. 

There are many ways that our team of DMV hearing attorneys can potentially fix the underlying issues: We can add on old traffic tickets and get them resolved, possibly get an order striking a failure to appear, or possibly file a motion for appropriate relief to get prior convictions overturned to get you reinstated. Or, it could be as simple as you paying an overdue cost of court.   

If after we fix all of the underlying issues you are still under suspension, then we can determine if we can get you driving anyway.   

NC DMV Hearing Step 3: Apply

We will develop, in the early stages, a plan to fix all of the indefinite suspensions and let you know what your status is once we have those fixed. For many people, even after we fix the current problems, they are still under a one-year, two-year, or permanent revocation. If you fall into this category, we then determine if we need to apply to the court for a Limited Driving Privilege or apply to the DMV for a Hearing. In some cases, we recommend both! We work to get you driving immediately with a Limited Driving Privilege then schedule an NC DMV hearing further out in time.  

Many of our clients have a valid license but get a letter that they have violated an ignition interlock restriction. We Fight these suspensions regularly. It is critical that you request a timely hearing.   

Contact an NC DMV Hearing Lawyer Today

Whether you are ordering your own record for us to review, or you want us to download your NC DMV record swiftly to get you driving quicker, call today so we can get started.   

The NC DMV is supposed to immediately notify you in writing if your North Carolina driver’s license is going to be suspended. However, many of our clients tell us that they have never received the notice. While this can be a defense to a charge of driving while license revoked in a Forsyth county Criminal court, it does not help you get your privilege to drive reinstated.

The exact suspension period varies depending on the reason for the suspension. There may be a way to file a motion for appropriate relief at the county courthouse and get certain matters lifted from your NC DMV Driving Record, which could result in the lifting of the suspension. Please discuss the exact details of your specific case with one of our DMV attorneys and we will look for a custom solution to get you driving legally again.   

DMV Hearing Fees

If you are eligible, we can work with you to request an administrative NC DMV hearing. If you had a valid Driver’s license at the time you got notice of the suspension and you made a timely request for a hearing, you will retain your license and driving privileges until the hearing. You can no longer simply request a hearing by phone. On January 1, 2018, North Carolina instituted a new set of Fees for all NC DMV hearings:  

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