Occupational Limited License (OLL)

The ability to drive a vehicle plays a major part in many of our lives. Whether it is to get to school, to go to work, to receive medical treatment, or any other reason, people just need to drive.

However, driving is a privilege, not a right, and there are many circumstances under which one may be denied this privilege. Like many Pennsylvanians, you probably rely on your car to get to work, run errands and perform other daily routine tasks. We need to work, and in the event that you get caught up in the mess of a license suspension, this could hinder your ability to keep working. License suspension for failing to put in paperwork or forgetting to pay a fine should never cause you to be put at risk of losing your job. Ultimately, this will only call for more penalties and missed fees, resulting in a longer license suspension. In PA, the legal system has set up an approach to allow for residents to keep working: the Pennsylvania Occupational Limited License.

If you have a Suspended or Restricted License, you may qualify for an Occupational Limited License (OLL). If you believe you qualify based on the following information, you should consider hiring a lawyer to assist you in getting an OLL so that you can get back on the road.

Remember, an Occupational Limited License is what it sounds like. Under Pennsylvania law, you may be able to have your driving privileges restored for a limited purpose.

These reasons include driving to and from:

1. Work
2. School
3. Receiving Medical Treatment

There is no guarantee that you will be eligible for an OLL based on these needs, but if you qualify based on certain offenses, it is likely you will be eligible. If this is the case, then you should retain a lawyer immediately to get the process started.

What Offenses Allow You to Qualify for an OLL?

If your license has been revoked, disqualified, cancelled, or recalled, you will not be eligible for an Occupational Limited License. You will also be ineligible to apply if you have never been licensed in Pennsylvania. You will also be ineligible if you have received an OLL within the past five years.

Additionally, while the purpose of an OLL is to enable one to continue working, it is for a Class C driver’s license, and may not be used to restore driving privileges under a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

You may be eligible, if you lost your driving privileges because of a:

1. Suspended license. If your license was suspended for an unpaid citation, unpaid judgment, failure to attend a departmental hearing, or failure to undergo a special point examination, then you may be eligible for an OLL.
2. Suspended CDL. The CDL may not be restored, but one may be eligible for to qualify for a non-CDL license.
3. Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offense. First and second time offenders may be eligible for an OLL once they have served the mandatory 60 day suspension of their license.
4. Refusal to submit to chemical testing or a 2nd DUI offense. Those with only one prior offense who have served at least 12 months of an 18 month or more driver’s license suspension, have satisfied all restoration requirements, and have an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle may be eligible for an OLL.
5. Underage alcohol offense. First-time offenders may be eligible for an OLL.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer?

Driving is important to you. It is important to all of us. You need to get to work to keep your job and pay your bills. You need to go to school so that you can get an education…to get that job to get to work to pay your bills. And, if you require outside medical assistance, it is vital that you receive that treatment. A lawyer can identify what options may be available to you, and what process you need to undertake in order to get an OLL. If you aren’t eligible for an OLL, a lawyer can advise you as to what alternatives may be available, and how to go about pursuing them.

This content was written on behalf of Greg Prosmushkin.