GUEST COLUMN.

Having a driver’s license is more than a convenience. It is a gateway to stability, independence, and economic opportunity. As a result, people who have lost their driving privileges can find themselves in economic peril, unable to get to a workplace. People don’t lose licenses only because of poor driving. The forfeiture can result from financial issues, such as nonpayment of court fines and costs, child support, and motor vehicle-related civil judgments.

Sadly, for people who need to go through the process to restore their driving privileges, navigating the legal system can be overwhelming.

Recognizing this need, Drive-To-Work (DTW) was founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 2007 as a small, nonprofit law organization to assist low-income or previously incarcerated persons regain their licenses through legal and driver education services. Our mission is simple: Help people get a license so they can drive to work and keep a job.

DTW simplifies the process for our clients by helping them remove the causes of their license suspensions and offers affordable legal services. We are funded by individual donors, business contributions, and grants as well as revenues from clients and our driving school. The annual Second Chance Luncheon, held every fall, is our biggest fundraiser.

With this funding, we can review the driving records of potential clients for free. We educate applicants on what they need to do to get their licenses back. If they require legal services, clients pay a flat fee of $300 with a grant paying the balance of legal costs. We’re by their side every step of the way.

Over the past 17 years, DTW has received more than 15,000 inquiries from individuals and their families. Most of our clients are from across Virginia, and we have assisted people in 34 states and Washington, D.C.

National Model

The Drive-To-Work program can be a model for other states. It’s a great opportunity for lawyers seeking pro bono work to become involved in the community; it educates students about the court system; it assists departments of corrections and other reentry programs; and, most important, it helps clients who have limited options. If you’re interested in starting a similar program for your state’s unique needs, we would be happy to assist you and you can reach us by clicking here. Improving opportunities for all drivers is sound public policy.

Our work has garnered national attention. In April, DTW received the American Society for Public Administration Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Exemplary Practice Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to a more equitable society. In 2023, we were honored with the Excellence in Virginia Government Community Award from Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs for exceptional community service.

Advocacy

We engage with all branches of government. Because of this macro view, we bring different parties together and coordinate efforts to create efficiencies and streamline processes. Since 2008, we have worked closely with the Virginia General Assembly on more than two dozen new laws that improve opportunities for relicensing for our clients and all state drivers.

One of our biggest legislative successes was a new law prohibiting the suspension of a driver’s license due to failure to pay court fines and costs. This law, passed in 2019, affected more than 534,000 Virginians, with nearly half having their privileges restored or becoming eligible to apply for their licenses.

During this year’s session, we championed two bills that unanimously passed the legislature. One eliminates certain license suspension cases that are more than 10 years old and have been purged by the court, and the other authorizes a restricted license for people with motor vehicle-related civil judgments.

Partnerships

Community partners are key to our success. We collaborate with volunteers and groups across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, including reentry councils, social services, probation and parole officers, and jails. Through a contract with the Virginia Department of Corrections, we offer a “How to Get Your License Back” virtual program as well as online driving improvement clinics at 19 low-and- medium-risk facilities.

One of our most exciting partnerships is with Washington and Lee University and the Buena Vista General District Court and the Lexington/Rockbridge General District Court. The Blue Ridge Mile Program teaches W&L undergraduates the importance of giving back and helps prepare them to enter the practice of law.  Students work with local residents seeking to restore their driver’s license through the court system and have aided 113 clients in the past two years. Last year, the program received W&L’s Omicron Delta Kappa Leyburn Award for outstanding community service. We’re in talks to extend the program to other colleges and courts across Virginia.

Call to Action

We hope this program will expand across the country. It works in Virginia; it can work for you. We look forward to hearing from you.

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