One of the most common things we hear in our office from callers is, “I haven’t been in any trouble in a long time. I need my license back.”
The Michigan Secretary of State has no criteria dependent on whether a person has been in trouble recently or not.
Instead, there are two things you must prove in order to win a Michigan driver’s license appeal.
Number one, that your alcohol problem is under control, meaning you haven’t had a drink for a legally sufficient period of time, generally about 18 months or so.
Number two, that your alcohol problem is likely to remain under control, meaning you can show you’re a safe bet to never drink again.
When you prove those two things, the idea that you haven’t been in any trouble in a long time becomes irrelevant.
However, if you can’t prove either of those things, the notion that you haven’t been in any trouble in a long time is equally irrelevant.
In other words, not being in trouble doesn’t really add up to anything in terms of giving you a head start on getting your license back.
The Secretary of State wants to examine your relationship to alcohol and make sure that you’re a safe bet to never drink and drive again, because you can establish that you’re a safe bet to never drink again.
The state knows that people who do not drink are precisely zero risk to ever drink and drive again.
So yes, it’s great if you haven’t been in any trouble.
But in terms of helping you win a Michigan driver’s license appeal, it’s a non-issue.