How to get your license back after a DUI in Georgia
Getting a license back after a DUI is an agency process, not a court one: the steps below are the ones the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) lists, in its order, each quoted from the agency's own page. Requirements differ by offense, blood-alcohol level, refusal, and prior record; the state's wording controls.
Steps the state lists
- 1
Serve 120 days of the 12-month suspension
DDS states a first DUI in 5 years results in a 12-month suspension, but at the end of 120 days the driver can apply for reinstatement if all the listed conditions are met. (A second DUI within 5 years carries a minimum 18-month suspension with a 120-day hard suspension before an ignition interlock permit; a third makes the driver a habitual violator with a 5-year revocation.)
What the source says
“A DUI suspense, first offense in 5 years, will be suspended for 12 months. However, at the end of 120 days, the driver can apply for reinstatement if all the conditions, listed below, are met.”
- 2
Present a Certificate of Completion of a DDS-approved DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program
DDS lists presentation of a Certificate of Completion from a DDS-approved DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program (certified DUI schools are listed on the DDS site) as a reinstatement requirement for a first DUI.
What the source says
“Suspended for 120 days. Present a Certificate of Completion of a DDS approved DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program.”
- 3
Pay the reinstatement fee by mail or in person
DDS's Reinstatement Fees and Payment page lists the DUI (first offense, age 21 and over) reinstatement fee as $200.00 by mail or $210.00 in person; DDS notes the effective conviction date, multiple convictions and other factors can change the fee.
What the source says
“Suspension Cost by Mail Cost in Person Child Support Non-Compliance $25.00 $35.00 DUI (First Offense for Age 21 and Over) $200.00 $210.00”
- 4
File an SR-22 and maintain it for three years from the conviction date (DDS Rule 375-3-3-.24)
DDS Rule 375-3-3-.24 requires an SR-22 to be filed and maintained for three years from the date of conviction to reinstate a license suspended for a conviction under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391, with minimum limits of $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage for a first conviction and $100,000/$300,000 and $100,000 for a second or subsequent conviction. This requirement appears in the DDS rule rather than in the DUI (First Offense) FAQ list.
What the source says
“Reinstatement of driver’s licenses suspended for convictions under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 will require an SR-22 to be filed and maintained for three (3) years from the date of conviction.”
- 5
Confirm the personalized reinstatement requirements through DDS Online Services
DDS states reinstatement requirements vary by suspension type, conviction and number of offenses, and that the fastest way to see them is to sign in to Online Services (or the DDS 2 GO app) to check license status and view step-by-step reinstatement instructions; DDS also offers phone, in-person and written-request help.
What the source says
“Reinstatement requirements vary based on the type of suspension, the conviction, and whether you have multiple offenses. The fastest way to see the requirements for your situation is to sign in to Online Services”
Official reinstatement page: Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)
Conditions that travel with reinstatement
| Reinstatement fee | $200 by mail / $210 in person (DUI, first offense, age 21 and over) |
|---|---|
| SR-22 / financial-responsibility filing | Yes · 3 years — Georgia SR-22 requirements |
| Ignition interlock | Georgia interlock rule |
| Required program | DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program (DDS-certified “DUI school”) |
| Driving during the suspension | Limited driving permit; Ignition Interlock Device Limited Permit (IIDLP / IDLP) |
| Re-examination | Knowledge test: required in some cases · road test: required in some cases |
Required program: DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program (DDS-certified “DUI school”)
DDS describes the program as a standardized screening assessment to evaluate an individual's alcohol and drug use together with a DDS-approved therapeutic education course focused on alcohol, drug use, and driving. Programs and instructors are certified by DDS under the DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program Rules and Regulations; DDS states classes taken at uncertified schools will not be accepted for licensing, reinstatement, or court requirements. The DUI (First Offense) FAQ lists the Certificate of Completion as a reinstatement requirement, and DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10(6)(b) requires it for an ignition interlock limited permit after a second DUI within five years.
“A DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program provides a standardized screening assessment to evaluate an individual’s alcohol and drug use, along with a DDS-approved therapeutic education course focused on alcohol, drug use, and driving.”
Driving during the suspension: Limited driving permit; Ignition Interlock Device Limited Permit (IIDLP / IDLP)
DDS states drivers whose license is suspended may qualify for a limited driving permit during the suspension period, restricted to listed purposes (employment, scheduled medical care, school, alcohol/drug support and treatment programs, driver education or assessment, court, probation or community service, transporting unlicensed immediate family, accountability court) with any routes, times or vehicles DDS specifies; the permit is not valid for commercial vehicles and may be revoked for a moving violation, violating a permit condition, or another suspension. DDS's Ignition Interlock Device Limited Permit Customer Information Sheet lists requesting an IID limited permit as one option after a DUI arrest (generally age 21 or older, valid Georgia license, no DUI conviction within five years), issued only after DDS receives the DDS-1205 and the device is installed. DDS's Fees and Terms page states the IDLP holder must successfully maintain the interlock for 4 months if the driver consented to the state-administered test or 12 months if not (permit fee $25; limited permit $32). For a second DUI conviction within five years, DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10(6) requires proof of interlock installation, a Risk Reduction Program certificate and court authorization, and Rule 375-3-3-.10(8) sets a 12-month interlock term. The DUI (First Offense) FAQ states a refusal suspension makes a driver ineligible for a limited permit if convicted of a first DUI.
“When a license gets suspended, drivers may qualify for a limited driving permit. The limited permits are available during the suspension period. Permits will restrict where and why you can drive.”
When the interlock can be removed
On the DDS sources, removal is time-based: the interlock restriction ends after the required term is maintained. DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10(8)(c) provides that a person on an ignition interlock permit after a second DUI within five years (incident on or after July 1, 2013) must maintain the device for twelve months, after which the customer is eligible for a permit without the interlock restriction if otherwise eligible. DDS's Fees and Terms page states the IDLP holder must 'successfully maintain' the interlock for 4 months (consented to testing) or 12 months (refused), and lists an 'Ignition Interlock Device Limited Permit (IDLP) Restrictions Removal' fee of $100, in addition to any reinstatement fees. DDS's Regulatory Compliance Division certifies provider centers to install, maintain, recalibrate and uninstall devices. No violation-free window, extension rule or early-removal provision appears on the DDS pages or rules; the underlying statutes (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64.1 and § 42-8-111) are published only through LexisNexis and were not available online when the record was verified.
Compliance period: none stated on DDS pages ('successfully maintain' the device for the required 4-month, 12-month term); any statutory compliance condition in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64.1 / § 42-8-111 could not be verified
“(c) For incidents on or after July 1, 2013: twelve (12) months. After maintaining such interlock for the time required, such customer shall be eligible for a permit without the interlock restriction if otherwise eligible.”
Will you have to retake the test? Re-examination in Georgia
Some states hand the license back once the conditions are met; others treat a revoked or long-withdrawn license as expired and issue a new one only after the knowledge test, the road test or a vision screening is passed again. The rules below are the licensing agency's own, one per test.
| Knowledge (written) test | Required in some cases After a revocation the driving privilege is terminated; at the end of the revocation period the driver applies for a new license and, the DDS states, re-takes the driving tests. A suspension ends with an application for a license once the requirements are met, with no test named. Separately, the Drivers Manual states that a license expired more than two years is renewed only after a vision test, a driving test and the road signs and road rules knowledge exam. What the source says“At the expiration of the revocation period, you may apply for a new driver’s license once you satisfy the requirements. You will be required to re-take the driving tests.” |
|---|---|
| Road (driving) test | Required in some cases The road skills test is part of the same re-testing after a revocation, and the Drivers Manual names it for a license expired more than two years. It is given by appointment, in a traditional or virtual format, in a vehicle the driver provides. What the source says“To renew a driver's license that has be expired more than two years, you must pass a vision test, a driving test, and an exam to test your knowledge of road signs and road rules.” |
| Vision screening | Required in some cases The vision exam is part of the DDS examination for a license — a minimum of 20/60 in one eye and a 140-degree field of vision, tested on a mechanical device — and the Drivers Manual names it for a license expired more than two years. What the source says“Your vision will be tested using a mechanical device, requiring a minimum of 20/60 vision in one eye (with or without corrective lenses) and a 140-degree field of vision.” |
What triggers a re-test
A revocation, as opposed to a suspension: the DDS states that a revoked license is terminated, a new license is applied for at the end of the revocation period and the driving tests are re-taken, while a suspended license is applied for at the end of the suspension period once the requirements are met. A license expired more than two years is the second trigger.
“When your driver's license is revoked, your driving privileges are terminated and withdrawn until the end of the period of time prescribed by the formal action of the DDS.”- Testing fee
- $32 — the fee for an eight-year regular driver's license (Class A, B, C, E, F or M); a $10 permit fee is paid before each testing attempt on a learner's permit; reinstatement fees are separate
What the source says
“Regular Driver's License (Class A, B, C, E, F, M) 8 Years $32”
- Where to take it
- dds.georgia.gov — knowledge exam on a walk-in basis at any DDS Customer Service Center; road test by appointment through the DDS online appointment system, in a traditional or virtual format
- Official driver manual
- Georgia Drivers Manual
Topics the agency says the test covers:
- Section 3: Testing Information
Questions about re-testing in Georgia
- Does a revoked Georgia license mean retaking the tests?
- Yes. The DDS states that when a license is revoked the driving privileges are terminated, that at the end of the revocation period the driver applies for a new license once the requirements are satisfied, and that the driving tests are re-taken. For a suspension the DDS says the driver applies for a license at the end of the suspension period and names no test.
- What if the license expired while it was withdrawn?
- The Georgia Drivers Manual states that a license expired more than two years is renewed only after a vision test, a driving test and an exam on road signs and road rules; a license expired two or more years also cannot be renewed by mail.
- Where are the tests taken?
- The knowledge exam is given on a walk-in basis at every DDS Customer Service Center, and the road skills test is by appointment, booked through the DDS online appointment system. The eight-year regular license fee is $32.
Reinstatement knowledge check: Georgia
Ten questions on the rules this site cites for the state — the figures the licensing agency and the statute state, with a link to where each one is stated. The order changes every time.
This is not the agency's knowledge test and does not predict it; it checks the rules cited on this site.
Questions about reinstatement in Georgia
- What does Georgia DDS require to reinstate a license after a first DUI?
- The DDS DUI (First Offense) FAQ states a first DUI in 5 years is a 12-month suspension, but after 120 days the driver can apply for reinstatement by presenting a Certificate of Completion of a DDS-approved DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program and paying the reinstatement fee ($200 by mail, $210 in person). DDS Rule 375-3-3-.24 also requires an SR-22 maintained for three years from conviction.
- What limited permits does Georgia DDS issue after a DUI?
- DDS states suspended drivers may qualify for a limited driving permit during the suspension, restricted to purposes such as work, medical care, school, treatment programs and court. After a DUI arrest, an Ignition Interlock Device Limited Permit may be requested (generally age 21+, valid Georgia license, no DUI conviction in five years), issued once DDS receives the DDS-1205 and the device is installed; the interlock must be maintained 4 months (consent) or 12 months (refusal).
- When can the ignition interlock restriction be removed in Georgia?
- DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10(8)(c) provides that after a second DUI within five years the interlock must be maintained for twelve months, after which the customer is eligible for a permit without the interlock restriction if otherwise eligible. DDS's Fees and Terms page lists a $100 IDLP restrictions-removal fee in addition to any reinstatement fee. DDS pages state no violation-free window; the statutes were not available online when the record was verified.
Sources
- Georgia DDS — DUI (First Offense) FAQ (suspension length, reinstatement requirements, limited permit eligibility)
- Georgia DDS — Reinstate License (requirements vary; Online Services step-by-step instructions)
- Georgia DDS — Reinstatement Fees and Payment
- Georgia DDS — Rule 375-3-3-.24 Reinstatement Procedures for Suspensions Based on Convictions for DUI (SR-22) (PDF)
- Georgia DDS — Limited Permits
- Georgia DDS — Fees and Terms (limited permit and IDLP fees; 4-/12-month interlock terms; restrictions removal fee)
- Georgia DDS — Ignition Interlock Device Limited Permit Customer Information Sheet (PDF)
- Georgia DDS — Rule 375-3-3-.10 Limited Driving Permits (PDF; interlock term after second DUI; eligibility for permit without interlock)
- Georgia DDS — DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program (regulated program overview)
- Georgia DDS — Ignition Interlock Provider Program (DDS certifies provider centers to install, maintain, recalibrate and uninstall IIDs)
- Georgia DDS — ADAP Student Manual, Chapter 1 Continued (second- and third-offense suspension and interlock periods)