Oklahoma Senator Proposes Bills to Ease Driver’s License Access for Former Inmates

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — An Oklahoma lawmaker is looking to remove barriers to getting a driver’s license for people getting out of prison.

Senator Micheal Bergstrom (R-Adair) says incarcerated people face roadblocks when they are released when it comes to reentering society and getting a job. He says one of those roadblocks is getting a driver’s license.

He has filed three bills for the upcoming legislative session on the issue.

The first bill would let people whose license expired while they were incarcerated apply for a six month provisional license without having to immediately pay outstanding fines or fees. At the end of the six months, people would start making payments of a minimum of $25 a month to pay down their balances.

The second bill is similar but doesn’t provide a six month suspension of payments.

Finally, SB 220 deals with licenses that have expired during the suspension or revocation period. Former inmates would have a 90-day grace period where their expired license would be considered valid.

Service Oklahoma would provide notifications about the grace period and information on how to get a new license. The Department of Corrections would also be required to provide inmates with what they need to be able to get a provisional license when they are released.

Bergstrom said in a press release, “This must be fixed.” He has heard from employees who haven’t been able to get a license for years.

The Oklahoma City nonprofit, TEEM, works to help those coming out of incarceration with reentry services, among other things.

“Unfortunately, a lot of times what it takes to get the license back is money and then it becomes a chicken and egg situation where someone may not be able to get a job because they don’t have transportation, but they also can’t get transportation because they can’t get a job and don’t have the money to pay for it,” TEEM Deputy Director Jaime Patterson said.

Patterson said people often owe thousands of dollars in fines and fees when are released.

“I do think that having clear pathways to get someone a provisional license, sort of set up a payment plan or delay the payment plan depending on the person’s financial situation is a huge step in the right direction,” she said.

Patterson noted if someone can’t pay their fines and fees, they risk being rearrested.

“If they’re driving without a valid driver’s license, they risk being rearrested. If they turn to other nonlegal means of trying to obtain the money to pay fines or fees, they risk being rearrested. So this makes so much financial sense for our state that we’re really promoting helping people get back on their feet,” Patterson said.

All three of these bills would take effect on July 1 if signed into law.