8. DMV Tools for Checking Driver’s Status and Reinstatement Eligibility

The Legal Tune Up tool automatically checks a driver’s status and reinstatement eligibility. The Wisconsin DOT also offers online tools that you and clients can use if necessary.

To check driver’s license status, you can use the following webpage. https://trust.dot.state.wi.us/ecdl/home.do Enter the client’s driver’s license number, the last four digits of the client’s Social Security Number, and the client’s date of birth. If the client does not know the license number, you can also check license status using the client’s full name, full Social Security Number, and date of birth. Once you have entered this information, this site will tell you the driver’s license number, the class of license (whether it is a regular, commercial, or probationary license), whether it is real ID compliant, the issuance date, and whether it is a valid license.

To check reinstatement eligibility, you can use the following webpage. https://trust.dot.state.wi.us/orsm/orsmHome.do By entering your clients license number or Social Security Number, as described for the license status check above, you can see whether a license is eligible for reinstatement and what barriers might exist to reinstating the license. However, this website does not contain as much information as the abstract so you cannot not rely solely upon it when helping clients.

In the next few sections, we will explain the various methods to reinstate a driver’s license depending on the reason for the revocation. We will describe:

9A. Assisting with suspensions for nonpayment of forfeiture

9B. Assisting with demerit point/ driver record suspensions

9C. Assisting with safety responsibility and damage judgement suspensions

9D. Assisting with OWI revocations

9E. Reopening traffic cases

9F. Asserting poverty, an overview

9G. Asserting poverty in municipal court

9H. Asserting poverty in circuit court

9I. Reinstating the driver’s license, one final barrier