A quiet revolution just rolled through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. For hundreds of thousands of drivers, it’s the best kind of paperwork shuffle: one that ends a suspension and wipes out old debt.

As of May 9, Ohio House Bill 29 is in effect

And it’s already changing the daily reality for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans. Those who had been sidelined by unpaid court fines, fees, or outdated penalties now feel relief.

Here’s what happened: the BMV, under direction from the state legislature, began removing license and registration suspensions tied to failure to pay court fines or fees. 

We’re talking about cases that had nothing to do with dangerous driving…just debt. 

These were penalties that, for many, turned a traffic ticket into a long-term economic trap

The new law also eliminated reinstatement fees for these specific suspensions. In its first month, the state forgave over $8 million in those fees, WHIO shared. Not bad for a policy that barely made a sound on the way in.

The law also clipped the courts’ power to suspend licenses for certain drug offenses — unless it involved operating a vehicle while impaired or using a vehicle to commit the crime.

And for those hit by the now-defunct Financial Responsibility Random Verification Program (yes, that thing that could suspend you if you failed to respond to random insurance checks), this bill wipes their suspensions, too. Free of charge.

Ohio’s BMV said it would notify everyone affected, and folks with clean slates otherwise can now visit a registrar’s office to get back on the road. If a driver still has other active suspensions, the reinstatement fees from the now-removed ones won’t sneak back in.

In a state where one missed payment could once park your car and your job prospects, House Bill 29 just pulled a massive U-turn.