Jan 18, 2023 2 min read

Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Aid announced a new program to help suspended drivers have their licenses restored.

According to a press release issued Tuesday from SPLA, the organization has $250,000 to fund the Driver’s License Suspension Advocacy Program for three years. That funding came mostly from grants, including a $50,000 grant from the Washington County Community Foundation.

The SPLA provides free legal services in Washington, Greene, Fayette and Somerset counties.

The program is meant to help those with a suspended driver’s license secure legal representation to navigate the process to restore their driving privileges.

“Washington County residents with suspended driver’s licenses have been struggling with Pennsylvania’s difficult and punitive license suspension laws for decades,” said Brian Gorman, SPLA executive director. “I’ve been practicing since 1999 and it’s never not been an issue. Driver’s license suspensions can last years, extended due to Pennsylvanians’ inability to pay fines and costs or to understand our traffic laws and regulations. We are confident that an attorney focusing on driver’s license advocacy will help to reduce or avoid some suspensions.”

The program will help people with applying for occupational limited licenses so they can legally drive to and from work. According to the press release, SPLA also hopes to improve public education on driver’s license laws to help avoid suspensions.

More information about the SPLA can be found at spla.org.