Occupational Driver’s License Suspended In Denton, Collin Or Dallas Counties, Texas?
If your license is suspended for any reason, you may petition the court of your county of residence or the county of the offense for an occupational driver’s license (ODL). This document will allow you to drive for essential needs only, despite your license suspension.
Obtaining ODLs and the rules that surround how they “work” can get complicated. The information below will only summarize what attorney Kimberly Griffin Tucker considers to be the highlights you need to preliminarily know. At The Law Office of Kimberly Griffin Tucker, P.C., she will help you with the details of your particular situation.
For most ODLs, the law allows a minimum of four hours and up to a maximum of 12 hours in which to drive per day depending upon the essential need shown.
The courts in Denton and Collin counties prefer to use a driving schedule. If Mrs. Tucker will be filing your ODL petition in one of these counties, she will need an idea of your daily drive schedule. Be sure to include a list of the counties in which you need to drive and a brief description of why (i.e., you live in Denton County and work in Dallas).
The court in Denton County prefers to use a logbook as opposed to a driving schedule. If this applies to you, you can discuss it with Mrs. Tucker, and she will provide the book that this particular court prefers. Also, if your petition for ODL must be heard in Denton, you will need to schedule a prove-up date.
Your ODL is only good on its own for 30 days. After that period of time, there is a brown ODL card that must accompany it. To receive this, you must mail an SR-37 form to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Mrs. Tucker will provide this information to you as well.
Last but not least: Remember, this is an essential needs license only. Driving outside of its parameters in any way could subject you to arrest for driving while your license is suspended, a class B misdemeanor.
Mrs. Tucker and her team will be available to you at all stages of this process to ensure that all the proper steps have been taken to obtain the ODL and that you use it properly once it is received.