Legal Question in DUI Law in Texas

permit to drive

how do i get a permit to drive if my license is suspened for one year. i have to work


Asked on 4/12/08, 11:52 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

John Armstrong The Law Office of John W. Armstrong

Re: permit to drive

Contact a DWI lawyer, and ask them to file an Occupational Drivers License for you. Usually, the filing fee with the County Clerk is about $200.00+/-, you will have to get an SR-22 insurance form (pink piece of paper) to show proof to the Judge and furnish to the Texs Department of Public Safety that you have in insurance. I would recommend that you not contact your insurance company necessarily, but that you contact another insurance company and request a non-owner policy to run for the same period of time as your suspension and your regular insurance if you can afford to do it that way, so your regular carrier may not find out about the DWI quite so fast. You will also need another $135.00 to mail in after the Judge grants your occupational lience, $125.00 of this amount is what is called a reeinstatement fee, which is due and payable upfront so that when your suspension is over you will get your license returned from DPS. The other $10.00 is for what the DPS sends you in the mail, which is a brown paper license. It looks similar to the white temporary piece of paper we receive when we go in and renew our license while we are waiting on the regular license to be mailed to us. The brown piece of paper license is the State issued Occupational License that you will ultimately receive from DPS. You will have to carry the brown piece of paper along with a copy of the Court Order that the Judge signs and you get from the Clerk's office. The reason for the brown peice of paper is so that law enforcement will know that you have an Occupational License when they stop you and will know to ask you to look at the court order signed by the Judge. Please remember that with an occupational license you can only drive for twelve (12) hours a day to and from work, to and from family obligations, and usually only in the counties you live in and work. It appears that you live in Montgomery County possibly and in that case the filing for the occupational license will be assigned to Judge Winfrey's Court. He handles or used to hear all Petitions for Occupational Licenses every Tuesday morning, I believe at 8:30 a.m., but it has been a long time, but your attorney should know. For the SR-22 Insuance I would contact Adam Miller Insurance in Houston, Mike Powell insurance in the Woodlands or Powers Insurance in Dickinson, Miller and Powers I believe can do it over the phone. Attorney wise contact, Doug Atkinson in Conroe, and tell him I told you to call, he definately knows what he is doing. I hope this has answered your question. BTW, I would not recommend attempting to do this yourself, becuase there are so many steps procedurally and if it is not done correctly you could end up in a serious mess. Good Luck.

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Answered on 4/12/08, 12:23 pm


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