Specialized Driving Privileges in Indiana

July 1, 2019/Chad Rollins/

What are Specialized Driving Privileges?

A suspended license can be an impossible obstacle for a person trying to get their life back on track. For someone without easy access to public transportation, mundane daily responsibilities can become stressful ordeals. Indiana legislators have worked to relieve this burden on persons with suspended licenses and offer new provisions for a person seeking a stay of their license suspension.

Hardship licenses versus Specialized Driving Privileges

In the past, an Indiana resident with a suspended license had to file for a hardship license. These hardship licenses were very difficult to obtain and involved petitioning the court with evidence that a suspended license was creating a significant hardship to the person(s) involved. Indiana has since replaced hardship licenses with Specialized Driving Privileges or “SDP”. The specialized driving privileges statute (Indiana Code Section 9-30-16) allows people a way to stay their current suspension(s) and regain the ability to drive. Obtaining SDP is much easier compared to the old hardship licenses and SDP are only restricted from a small number of affected people.  SDP can include the ability to drive to and from work, to medical and court appointments, to the grocery store, for parenting obligations, or any other purposes a court deems appropriate.

If you or a loved one are having difficulty with a suspended license, you might be eligible for Specialized Driving Privileges. Our next posts will discuss eligibility and petitioning for SDP.  If you have further questions or would like help obtaining Specialized Driving Privileges, contact an attorney at Rollins Law Group at 317-558-9677 to schedule a consultation or contact us online to make arrangements.

These materials are intended for general information purposes only.  Accordingly, they do not and are not intended to constitute legal advice or legal opinion. You should consult with legal counsel to determine how laws or decisions discussed herein apply to your specific circumstances.

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Chad Rollins

Chad is the managing attorney for Rollins Law Group. Chad’s practice emphasizes cost-effective solutions that seek to avoid unnecessary litigation while minimizing costs and risk. He focuses on real estate, landlord-tenant, business services, creditor-debtor law, specialized driving privileges and estate planning.

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