Californiadriver's-license restoration

Wave 1Strict frameworkDMVLast verified 2026-05-11

All-offender IID, longer waiting periods, five-year SR-22 filing, treatment commonly mandatory.

Restoration decoder

Client-side only · inputs never leave your browser

Fill in what you know about your suspension. The decoder returns a statute-pinned procedural path: which form to file, whether an IID or SR-22 is required, what the waiting period is, and whether a hardship license is available in your state.

State

Primary suspension cause

Suspension / offense date (optional)Some state rules changed after 2023 (notably for court-debt-driven suspensions). Date-aware branching uses this if provided.

Prior suspensions on your record

First suspension on my recordOne prior suspensionTwo or more prior suspensions

Hardship / occupational licenseI'm interested in a hardship / occupational license while I'm suspended.My employment requires driving.

Procedural verdict

CaliforniaDUI / DWI conviction

Restoration pathComplete DUI program; submit proof of financial responsibility; serve at least 12 months of suspension under §13352(a)(3); IID per court order under §23575.3

DMV form numberAwaiting primary-source verification

IID requiredNo

IID duration (months)6

SR-22 requiredYes

SR-22 filing period (years)3

Waiting period (days)Awaiting primary-source verification

Reinstatement fee (USD)Awaiting primary-source verification

Hardship license availableYes

California hardship-license nameRestricted Driver's License (DUI-suspension; also juvenile 'Critical-Need to Drive')

Statute citations

Cal. Veh. Code §13352, §13352.5, §23152, §23575.3
Cal. Veh. Code §23575.3
Cal. Veh. Code §16430 (definition); §13352.5 (3-year maintenance)
Cal. Veh. Code §13352.5

Primary sources

California DMV portal: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/
Suspension cause statute: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=13352.5
IID requirement primary source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=23575.3
SR-22 primary source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=13352.5
Hardship-license primary source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=13352.5

Reinstatement cost stack

Component	Amount	Source
Reinstatement fee (state DMV)	Awaiting primary-source verification	primary
SR-22 insurance premium differential (estimate) (monthly)	Awaiting primary-source verification	primary

Cost ranges are placeholder pending Wave-1 Agent B affiliate-page verification. The state DMV reinstatement fee is the only fixed-value component — IID monthly lease, SR-22 premium differential, DUI school cost, and treatment cost vary by provider and case.

Last verified 2026-05-11.

This decoder is informational only. It is not legal advice. For your specific case, consult a licensed DUI / traffic-defense attorney in your state and verify directly with California DMV.

CA · Per-cause matrix

California per-cause matrix

Each row is one suspension cause class. Cells that have not yet been primary-source-pinned show as placeholders. Run the decoder above for structured output that incorporates the matrix + IID + SR-22 + hardship layers.

Cause	Form	Waiting (days)	Fee (USD)	Statute	Source
DUI / DWI conviction	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Cal. Veh. Code §13352, §13352.5, §23152, §23575.3	primary
SR-22 trigger (no-insurance / at-fault accident)	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Cal. Veh. Code §16430 (definition); §13352.5 (3-year maintenance)	primary
Child-support arrears	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Cal. Fam. Code §17520	primary
Failure to appear (FTA)	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	PLACEHOLDER
Failure to pay court debt (FTPay)	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	PLACEHOLDER
No-insurance / lapse of coverage	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	primary
Drug conviction	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	PLACEHOLDER
Juvenile alcohol/drug	Awaiting primary-source verification	365	Awaiting primary-source verification	Cal. Veh. Code §13202.5	primary
Medical / vision suspension	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	PLACEHOLDER
Administrative point accumulation	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	Awaiting primary-source verification	PLACEHOLDER

CA · At a glance

IID, SR-22, and hardship-license at a glance

Ignition Interlock

First offender: No
Multi-offender: Yes
Statute: Cal. Veh. Code §23575.3

First offender

6 months

Multi offender

12 months

12m

24m

36m

48m

60m

SR-22 / FR

Required: Yes
Filing period (years): 3
State forbids SR-22: No
Statute: Cal. Veh. Code §16430 (definition); §13352.5 (3-year maintenance)

Hardship license

Available: Yes
Name: Restricted Driver's License (DUI-suspension; also juvenile 'Critical-Need to Drive')
Conditions: License suspended under §13352(a)(3); complete DUI program; submit proof of financial responsibility (SR-22); serve at least 12 months of suspension
Form: Awaiting primary-source verification

Reinstatement cost stack (default DUI / first-offense case)

Reinstatement fee (state DMV)Awaiting
SR-22 insurance premium differential (estimate)Awaiting

The decoder above lets you switch causes and prior-counts. Many components ship as placeholders pending Wave-1 Agent B affiliate / provider verification.

Sponsor slots

Need to file an SR-22?

Sponsor slot · signup approval pending

If your suspension verdict requires SR-22, several national carriers can file in California. We will list verified carriers here once signup approval clears.

Affiliate disclosure: When a sponsor is shown, links may be paid placements. We never recommend a provider we have not verified at the signup-page level.

Court-approved DUI school?

Sponsor slot · signup approval pending

If your verdict requires a DUI / impaired-driving education course, your state DMV publishes a list of court-approved providers. We will surface verified online options here once signup approval clears.

Affiliate disclosure: When a sponsor is shown, links may be paid placements. We never recommend a provider we have not verified at the signup-page level.

Ignition Interlock Device provider?

Sponsor slot · signup approval pending

If your verdict requires an IID, your state DMV publishes a list of approved providers. Common national providers include LifeSafer, Smart Start, and Intoxalock — verify with your state DMV that the provider you choose is approved.

Affiliate disclosure: When a sponsor is shown, links may be paid placements. We never recommend a provider we have not verified at the signup-page level.

Procedural path

Six steps to restoration

The path is the same shape in every state. The decoder fills in which artifact each step requires.

Identify cause
Confirm what triggered the suspension (DUI, SR-22, court debt, child support, points, medical, etc.).
Clear conditions
Resolve underlying triggers: pay arrears or fines, complete required courses, enroll in treatment if ordered.
Wait the period
Some causes have a hard minimum waiting period before any restoration or hardship license is available.
File proof
SR-22 (or FR-44 alternate), IID installation certificate, treatment-completion certificate — whatever your case requires.
Pay reinstatement fee
Submit the state DMV reinstatement application and pay the fee.
Receive your license
Full or restricted (hardship / occupational) — the decoder verdict shows which path applies.

How to read this page

Use the decoder at the top — it combines this state's data with your specific case (cause + prior count + hardship interest).
The per-cause matrix below shows each suspension class as a row. Verify each statute citation against the linked primary source.
If a cell shows Awaiting primary-source verification, that field has not yet been pinned. Cross-check directly with DMV.
For your specific case, consult a licensed DUI / traffic-defense attorney admitted to the California bar with active DMV-administrative-hearing practice.

State map

Where California sits in the 50-state grid

Highlighted tile is California. Click any other state to jump.

Light-touchModerateStrictSR-22 forbiddenWave 2 / 3 (pending)