Why Is My License Suspended in Michigan? Common Reasons

A Michigan driver’s license can be suspended for reasons that range from a single drunk-driving conviction to an unpaid traffic ticket. The Secretary of State, not the court, holds the license and imposes the suspension, usually after it receives a record of a conviction or a notice that a driver ignored a citation. This article explains the most common reasons a Michigan license is suspended, how long each suspension lasts, and what it takes to clear it. It is one of the topics covered in Michigan traffic tickets, points, and court.

How license suspension works in Michigan

Two different bodies act on a Michigan license. Courts decide guilt on a traffic charge and can order fines or jail, but the power to suspend, restrict, or revoke a license belongs to the Michigan Secretary of State. When a court reports a conviction or a civil infraction determination, the Secretary of State records it and any points on your Michigan Driving Record, the state’s official history of convictions and sanctions for a driver. As of 2026, a certified copy of that record costs $16 and shows exactly which suspension is active and why, through the Secretary of State’s driving record service.

Most suspensions are automatic. For the offenses below, the law directs the Secretary of State to suspend a license once it receives the court’s record, without a separate hearing. A few, like a refused chemical test, start with the Secretary of State instead of a court.

Drunk and drugged driving convictions

The most common reason a Michigan license is suspended is a conviction for operating while intoxicated (OWI) or a related alcohol or drug offense. Under MCL 257.319, the Secretary of State must suspend the license as soon as it receives the conviction record. How long the suspension lasts depends on the offense and on any prior convictions within seven years.

A first operating-while-intoxicated conviction with no priors in seven years brings a 180-day suspension, and the Secretary of State cannot issue a restricted license during the first 30 days. A first conviction for operating while visibly impaired (OWVI) carries a 90-day suspension. A high-BAC conviction, meaning a bodily alcohol content of 0.17 or more, runs one year, with a restricted license possible only after 45 days and only with an approved ignition interlock device installed. These periods are set by MCL 257.319(8). A first-offense OWI in Michigan also carries its own fines, possible jail, and probation on top of the license sanction.

Refusing a chemical test (implied consent)

Michigan’s implied-consent law treats a refusal to take a police-requested chemical test as its own violation, separate from the drunk-driving charge. If a driver refuses a properly requested breath, blood, or urine test and does not request a hearing within 14 days, MCL 257.625f directs the Secretary of State to suspend the license for one year for a first refusal, or two years for a second refusal within seven years. A refusal also adds six points to the driving record under MCL 257.320a(8).

Too many points and driver reexamination

Michigan assigns points to most moving-violation convictions, and those points are recorded on the driving record as new violations occur. Points alone do not automatically suspend a license, but they can trigger review. Under MCL 257.320a, once a driver reaches nine points the Secretary of State may call the driver in for an interview about their driving ability and record; failing to appear for that interview adds three more points.

The number of points depends on the violation: six points for a felony involving a vehicle or a high-level OWI, four points for driving more than 15 mph over the limit, three points for careless driving or disobeying a signal, and two points for many other moving violations, all set out in MCL 257.320a(1). A single speeding ticket in Michigan can add one to four points depending on how far over the limit the driver was. After a reexamination, the Secretary of State can leave the license alone, add restrictions, or suspend or revoke it, based on the record and the interview.

Unpaid tickets and missed court dates

Ignoring a traffic ticket can cost a driver their license even when the underlying violation was minor. Under MCL 257.321a, if a driver fails to answer a citation or fails to comply with a court’s order or judgment, including paying all fines, costs, and fees, the court sends a notice, and if the driver does not respond within 14 days the court tells the Secretary of State to suspend the license. The suspension stays in place until the driver resolves the matter with the court and pays a $45 driver-license clearance fee for each case.

A 2020 law that took effect October 1, 2021 narrowed this rule. As reflected in the current text of MCL 257.321a, a license is now suspended for failing to answer or pay only on violations for which suspension is otherwise allowed under the vehicle code; unpaid fines on many civil infractions and non-driving offenses no longer trigger a suspension by themselves. If it is unclear which court holds a case, the ticket or notice names it, and Michigan’s courts publish guidance for people handling a case without a lawyer.

Other reasons a license is suspended

OWI and unpaid tickets are the most common causes, but MCL 257.319 lists other convictions that require suspension. A felony in which a motor vehicle was used brings a one-year suspension. Failing to stop and identify yourself at the scene of an injury accident brings a 90-day suspension. Fleeing or eluding a police officer and several other crimes carry their own suspension periods. When more than one suspension results from the same incident, only the longest one applies.

Repeat drunk-driving offenses raise the stakes further. An OWI can become a felony in Michigan on a third offense, which brings a long license revocation rather than a fixed suspension. Driving while a license is already suspended is a separate crime, so confirming that a suspension is fully cleared before driving again matters.

How to find out why your license is suspended

A driver who is unsure why a license was suspended can trace it through the driving record and then address the specific cause.

1. Order your Michigan Driving Record

   The record from the Secretary of State lists every conviction, the point total, and each active sanction on the license. As of 2026, a certified copy costs $16 online through the Secretary of State.

2. Identify the suspension and its cause

   The record shows which suspension is active and what is behind it: an OWI conviction, an implied-consent refusal, a points reexamination, or an unanswered citation. Each cause has a different path to clearing it.

3. Resolve the underlying issue

   Clearing a suspension depends on its cause: serving out an OWI suspension period, petitioning the circuit court for a restricted license, answering a citation and paying the court, or completing a driver reexamination.

4. Pay the required fees and confirm reinstatement

   A failure-to-appear suspension requires a $45 clearance fee for each case paid to the court under MCL 257.321a, and many suspensions require a separate reinstatement fee to the Secretary of State before driving privileges return.