Limited License in Minnesota
A limited license, AKA work permit, is available in Minnesota for some DWI, implied consent revocation, and other offenses. Most commonly, someone will be eligible to get a limited license if it is their first DWI offense and they had a tested alcohol concentration under .16 or they refused the test. If they have a prior DWI in the past ten years or tested at least .16, or have enough priors outside of ten years, then ignition interlock is likely the only avenue for them to get back driving on the road.
Other common situations that lead to the ability to get a limited license is when someone has habitual traffic violations, such as four or five violations in twelve months or five or more violations in twenty-four months. Speeding offenses when you are driving over one-hundred miles per hour and fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle will also result in a driver’s license revocation in Minnesota where you can apply for a limited license after a waiting period. Non-payment of child support is also a common trigger for a driver’s license suspension, but you can only get a limited license once for non-payment of child support.
To apply for a limited license, you must pay the reinstatement fee to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Currently, for DWIs and implied consent revocations, the reinstatement fee is $680. You must also meet with a driver evaluator and make an appointment to do so. You can schedule one online at this website for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. That driver evaluator will set the parameters of the limited license / work permit with you. This will include restrictions of driving to and from work as required for your job; traveling to and from chemical dependency treatment or counseling; and traveling to and from a school, college, or university where you are enrolled. The evaluator should also let you drive on the limited license to prevent the substantial disruption of the education, medical, or nutritional needs of your family. Translation, they should let you drive your kids to school, the doctor, and to buy food for your family.
Importantly, in the DWI context, there will be a waiting period before you can drive on the limited license. Generally, fifteen days must pass in your revocation period before you can start driving on the limited license, but you can go apply for it as soon as you receive notice your license will be revoked or suspended.
For a consultation at no charge about your case, please call or text us at 612-547-3199 or email: ambroselegal@icloud.com
Robert H. Ambrose is a criminal defense lawyer and DWI attorney in the Twin Cities and the state of Wisconsin. Super Lawyers named him a Super Lawyer for the past four years and a Rising Star in the preceding six years. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School. DWI Attorney Woodbury MN; Criminal Defense Lawyer Minnesota; and OWI Lawyer Wisconsin.