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From Country to Courts hosted by Mike Hammond, radio veteran, Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee, and longtime Criminal Court Clerk.
This podcast explores the vital issues at the heart of our courts and criminal justice system in a way that’s clear and compelling.
Each episode will dive into insights on how the court system works, what citizens can expect if they ever find themselves in court, and the programs and services many never hear about, like Veterans Recovery Court, Mental Health Court, and driver's license reinstatement programs.
Whether you’re facing a legal issue, serving jury duty, or just curious about what happens behind courtroom doors, From Country to Courts offers real world context and practical information to help you better understand the justice system and your place in it.
Mike: Hey everyone, welcome to another edition of From Country to the Courts. I’m Mike Hammond. I’m the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk, and today we’re going to talk about something that affects a lot of people in Knox County and across the state of Tennessee, and that is what happens when you have your driver’s license revoked or suspended. We’re told that just in Knox County, we have about 70,000 people that are driving on a revoked or suspended license. Well, about two or three years ago we decided we wanted to do something about that, so we went to the Department of Safety in Nashville and said what can we do to help expedite people getting their license? And they told us and we came back and that’s exactly what we did. And the person who has actually spearheaded that effort is with us now, and that’s Barbara Davis. So Barbara, thank you so much for joining us here on our podcast today.
Barbara: Good morning. Happy to be here.
Mike: So, let’s take it from step one. Let’s say for example, I have had my driver’s license suspended or revoked. What should be the first step that I would need to do?
Barbara: So, the first step you would want is to find out from the Department of Safety, or what our program does now is allow you to come and we can print off a reinstatement requirement letter. And we would go step by step over that letter with you and then at the end you’ve got all your direction and what steps you need to take to get your driver’s license back.
Mike: Now, this is not something that happens just in an hour.
Barbara: No.
Mike: There’s a process that people have to go through. So, I know each case is different, but approximately how long would it take for you to go through the process to get your driver’s license back?
Barbara: It could take anywhere—it’s a case-by-case circumstance, but a person could possibly have their license back within four days. That would be a quick turnaround for them to get a valid license.
Mike: Now, are there costs associated with getting your driver’s license reinstated?
Barbara: There is a cost. The state requires a reinstatement fee and that is regardless if you’re getting a license in another state, the state still charges you that reinstatement fee. And it varies. It can go from, I’ve seen them as low as $65 on up into the thousands. So, it is a case by case.
Mike: Let’s talk about restricted licenses for just a second. There is an opportunity for people to get a restricted license and what are some of the guidelines for that?
Barbara: So, the guidelines would be, if you’ve been charged with a DUI and convicted, that does cause a revocation of license for one year up to eight years. And the process of getting a restricted license would be coming, filing the paperwork for the judge to sign off, and then you could possibly have to have an ignition interlock, SR-22 insurance that goes along with that restricted license. But once you have that order signed by the judge, you’ve got ten days to get that to the Department of Safety, the DMV, and then you would be issued your restricted to be able to drive. And if you’ve got the interlock, there are no geographical restrictions.
Mike: On the restricted license, as I understand it, you can drive to work, you could drive to church, but it’s not like you could go on vacation or anything like that. So, what are some of the restrictions?
Barbara: So, the restrictions would be, if it’s a DUI conviction that you’ve been revoked for and you’ve got the ignition interlock, there are no geographical restrictions. You could drive anywhere you wanted to. Now, if you have a geographical restriction, then yes, you would only have certain times that you could be out on the roadway in the direction which you’ve listed on your restricted order, to and from work, to and from church. They have also updated that to where it would be going to your doctor’s appointments. And then if you’re caught out on the roadway or in another county that was not on that restricted order, you could be charged with violating that order if you were pulled over.
Mike: A lot of people have come to us once we started this program and said, “We’re so glad you’re doing this because I was told that I would never get my license back.” And it’s daunting to try to deal with the state, and so we’ve kind of taken—we’re the middleman, so to speak. People can come to us, we help you, we help you get your paperwork done, then we can send it to the state for you and those kinds of things. And so, we’re here to help people go through all of that. And you have had some really interesting stories from people who have told us just that, “We never thought we’d get our license again.”
And let me point out, just because you don’t have a license doesn’t mean you’re not driving. I mean, these people are driving, they’re just driving illegally or they’re driving without a license. But tell us two or three of the stories that you’ve heard from people who have come in and said, “Hey, I went for years without a license.”
Barbara: I did have a customer who came to me and it had been 35 years since he had had a license. And he had been told throughout the time he was eligible to get a license ‘till up to that day, he had kept being told that there’s no point. There’s no point in you even trying. You’re not going to get a license. And when he heard about our program that we have here, he came to us and we pulled his requirements, we went step by step with this gentleman, and within about three months—because he did have some hurdles to get through—but after about three months, this gentleman got his valid license and was just over the moon with excitement. It just brought a tear to my eye to know that this was something so important to him, but yet we were able to help him.
Mike: Didn’t you have someone come and serenade you with a song at one time.
Barbara: Yes. I have had someone come serenade after getting their license. It was very touching. And the overwhelming respect that we have gotten from these individuals after hearing the horror stories from ones that have told us about the not-so-good service that they received from the Department of Safety, that coming here, it was a more relaxed to where, before they walked away from our counter, they had a clear understanding of what they needed to do. So therefore, they have serenaded us with the songs, they have come back and had their license in their hand just showing us and just having that joy. I mean, it’s just heartwarming.
Mike: One of the things that we tried and has been very successful is we have a driver’s license fair and we try to do it two or three times a year. And when we do that, we have our staff, of course, we do it on Saturday mornings from 9 until 12, and we pre-screen people who come in to make sure that we can help them when they get here. And the Department of Safety is on site and they bring their crew. You can do a driver’s test, you can do a written test, you can do your eye test, all of those things. Plus we have judges here, if you owe money, for example, or if there’s something on your record that needs to be taken care of. So, it really is a one-stop shop for these fairs. But we’ve literally had hundreds of people come through that already.
Barbara: And it’s been successful. Last event that we had, we had 25 individuals that walked away with their valid license. And as you stated, it’s a one-stop shop. They can see the judge regarding fines and costs—and this is the city and the county judges—we have the Department of Safety staff here. They will do your road test, your written test, and eye test, pay your reinstatement fee and walk out of here with a valid license.
Mike: So, if you are in a situation where you need to talk—and we can’t help everybody. There are instances where, you know, hey folks, there’s nothing we can do, but we can kind of guide you in the direction you need to go into. But for those who might want information, all they need to do is to—they can call us. And what is that phone number?
Barbara: It is 865-215-2375, and you can ask for a driver’s license specialist.
Mike: And we have a couple of people who do that here in the office, by the way. You can send an email or you can come by one of our fares or come to the counter. We don’t recommend that you just show up because we might need to do some preliminary work before you get here, but nonetheless, there are ways you can get in touch with us and you can kind of let us know what your situation is and we can take a look at it. So far, what is it, over 3,000 people?
Barbara: Way over 3,000. Yes, sir.
Mike: So, way over 3,000 people have already gotten their license as a result of this program. So Barbara, thank you for all the work that you do. I know that we’ve helped a lot of people that are driving legally now and we continue to have people come by and call us almost daily. And so, we’re very, very happy to help do that.
Barbara: Yes, absolutely. Thank you and it’s my pleasure to be helping these folks.
Mike: I’d also say that our driver’s license program has been nationally recognized by the International Government Officials Organization. It’s an international group of—they look at different things that governmental entities are doing and they give awards each year. And so, our driver’s license program actually won the award about three years ago because of innovation. And we’ve also had other counties across the state that have come to us and said, “What are you doing? We want to do this too.” And so, we’re definitely on the cutting edge. So, we’re very, very proud of that here in the office.
Barbara: Absolutely.
Mike: So Barbara, thank you again. Our producer is Maddie Tuggle and I’m Mike Hammond. Thank you so much for joining us. And we have another great podcast coming up. We want to talk about cybersecurity and some other things. That’s all coming up right here on From Country to the Courts.
Mike: This has been From Country to the Courts. I appreciate your listening. You can follow me on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, don’t forget to give me a five-star review on the app of your choice. Thanks, and I’ll see you on the next episode.