Suspensions, Revocations and Cancelations

What Happens?

If a court suspends, revokes or cancels your license, you may get a suspension, revocation, or cancelation order while in court. The court may also take away your license and return it to DMV.

If your license is suspended or revoked by DMV:

A notice of suspension or revocation will be sent to the address on file with DMV;
You must return your license to a DMV office when the suspension or revocation begins;
You cannot drive;
You will need to pay a fee of $75.00 to get your license back (once the suspension period is over); and
There may be other requirements ordered by the court.

For more information, please see the Oregon Suspension Guide.

Types of Suspensions or Revocations

Failure to Appear/Comply

When ordered by a court, DMV may suspend your license if you fail to appear in court or fail to pay a fine in Oregon or Washington. Your license will be suspended:

For 20 years; or
Until DMV receives proof that the case has been cleared with the court.

Proof of clearance from a court includes:

An official clearance document from the court; or
A clearance sent electronically to DMV from a court.

Failure to Pay Child Support

Your license may be suspended if:

You are behind in paying child support; or
You fail to comply with a subpoena relating to a child support or paternity case.

Your license will be suspended until the Support Enforcement Division or District Attorney tells DMV to reinstate your license.

Driver Improvement

The goal of the Driver Improvement Program is to maintain the safety of Oregon roads by motivating people to drive safely and by keeping unsafe drivers off the roads. If you have been convicted of multiple traffic offenses and/or preventable traffic accidents over a certain period of time, you may be subject to the Driver Improvement Program.

If You Are Under 18

DMV will restrict your license for 90 days (drive only for work reasons) if you have either:

Two convictions,
Two accidents, or
A combination of one conviction and one accident.

These restrictions are in addition to the restrictions for a provisional license.
If you get a conviction for violating these restrictions, your license could be suspended or revoked.
If you receive a third conviction or accident, DMV will suspend your license for six months even if you turn 18 during the suspension period.
For each violation or preventable accident after three, DMV will suspend your license or your right to apply for a license for six months, even if you have a previous or current Driver Improvement Program suspension.

If You Are 18 or Older

DMV will restrict your driving license (no night driving) for 30 days if you have:

Three convictions, or
Three accidents, or
A combination that totals three in an 18-month period.

DMV will suspend your license for 30 days if you have:

Four convictions, or
Four accidents, or
A combination that totals four in a 24-month period.

For each violation or preventable accident after four (within 2 years), DMV will suspend your license or your right to apply for a license for 30 days, even if you have a previous or current Driver Improvement Program suspension.

Driving while Under the Influence of Intoxicants

If convicted of DUII, your license will be suspended. Suspension lengths vary.

A suspension or revocation for a DUII conviction is separate from a suspension under the Implied Consent law.

Implied Consent

Oregon's implied consent law means that by driving a vehicle you have implied that you will consent to a breath, blood or urine test if a police officer asks you to.

Refusal to take a test is admissible as evidence in court.
Drivers over 21 years old will fail the test if their blood alcohol reading is 0.08 percent or more.
Drivers under 21 will fail the test if they have any amount of alcohol in their blood.
An implied consent suspension is separate from a suspension from a DUII conviction.
If you have a valid Oregon Driver License the officer will take it and issue a 30-day temporary driving permit.
After 30 days, the suspension is in effect and the temporary driving permit is no longer valid.

If you receive a notice of intent to suspend from a police officer under Oregon's Implied Consent Law, you are entitled to a hearing.

Suspension lengths are:

Failing a breath test - 90 days or one year.
Refusing to take a breath test – One year or three years.
Refusing to take a urine test - One year or three years.

Ignition Interlock Device

An ignition interlock device, or IID, is used to make sure a vehicle won’t start if the driver has alcohol on their breath.

If you have been required to have an IID installed in your vehicle:

You must submit proof at the end of the requirement that you haven’t tried to start your vehicle with alcohol on your breath in the last 90 days, or your requirement will not be removed; and
You are responsible for paying all costs related to the device.

Find an installation location

Habitual Offender Program

DMV will revoke your license for five years if you are convicted of three or more of the following offenses within a five year period:

Any degree of murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, recklessly endangering another person, menacing or criminal mischief resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle;
Driving while under the influence of intoxicants;
Driving while your license is suspended or revoked;
Reckless driving;
Failure to perform the duties of a driver after a collision; or
Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.

DMV will also revoke your license as a habitual offender if you are convicted of 20 or more traffic violations within five years. To view a list of violations, see OAR 735-064-0220.

How to Read Your Notice

If you received a notice of suspension, cancellation or revocation, visit our Suspension Notice page to find out how to read your notice.