If you’re trying to get your Michigan driver’s license back after a revocation, you may have been told you must undergo a driver’s license substance abuse evaluation as a first step.
Clearly, you will have to show that you will be a responsible, sober driver before you can get your license back. But what, really, is a substance abuse evaluation? Where do you get it? And how do you prepare for it?
Let me answer some of your basic questions.
What is a Michigan Driver’s License Substance Abuse Evaluation?
Individuals who are charged with a substance use-related traffic offense may be required to participate in a substance abuse evaluation.
The substance abuse evaluation, which must be completed by a qualified evaluator, would assess the possibility that you would drink and drive again in the future.
The assessment is based on Michigan Department of State requirements, and your evaluator would complete it. It must be completed no more than three months before you submit it as documentation for your license restoration case.
It would include all or most of the following, as well as various other details:
- Basic identifiers such as your name
- Your driving history as it relates to prior convictions
- Details about the current situation and your related penalties and requirements
- Any substance abuse treatment you have undergone, including one-on-one treatment with a licensed therapist, one-on-one treatment with a spiritual leader, and group treatment, such as Alcoholics Anonymous classes
- Results of a current drug test
- Your current sobriety and any relapse history
- At least three letters of support from individuals in the community who can attest to your sobriety
- Any relevant future plans, such as continuing to see a therapist
- Any prescription drugs you take for medical purposes
- Your job status
How Do You Select a Substance Abuse Evaluator?
You can find substance abuse evaluation providers through the Michigan Secretary of State website, where you can search for a provider by county. Assessments may also be obtained from licensed substance use disorder treatment programs.
How Can a License Restoration Attorney Make the Process Easier?
As a license restoration attorney, I cannot complete the substance abuse evaluation for you. It must be completed by an independent source.
However, I can help you obtain the letters of support and provide you with general guidance in relation to the substance abuse evaluation process. I can also help identify gaps in the assessment as well as various areas that are not in your favor. Afterward, I can help you identify ways you can improve that situation, especially if they would enable you to make positive changes in your life.
It’s important to get the Michigan driver’s license substance abuse evaluation right the first time. The Michigan Secretary of State license appeals board, known as the Office of Administrative Hearings and Oversight, would use this evaluation to determine whether or not you should have your license reinstated. If you are not successful, you would have to wait another year before you can try again.
That concept also reinforces the benefit of working with a qualified license reinstatement attorney. In my case, I have won 95 percent of the cases I handled, so I recognize the various details that are required as a part of your substance abuse evaluation.
Contact me for more information about the substance abuse evaluation process. I can provide you with the facts you need to get started.
