Judge considers settlement offer in license suspension lawsuit

A federal court judge in Winston-Salem is considering a settlement in a lawsuit that would change the rules on how people can get their driver's licenses back if they've been revoked.

Civil rights groups including the ACLU of North Carolina brought the class-action lawsuit against the commissioner of the state Department of Motor Vehicles in 2018.

Michele Delgado is part of the ACLU's legal team. She says the current rules are unfair to lower-income drivers, who may lose their driving privileges over unpaid debts.

“It makes it very difficult for them to go to work, to get childcare, to get health care,” she says. “You know, the public transportation system is limited to some extent. So this is very detrimental to them if they cannot have their license.”

Delgado says the settlement will lead to improvements in how the DMV informs people about their rights. 

If approved, the agency will begin including information on how drivers can petition to show the court their inability to pay before their license is revoked due to outstanding costs. 

The DMV would also send notices to thousands of drivers with revoked licenses informing them how they can be restored. 

A call to the DMV for comment was not returned by press time.