Georgia does not issue a “hardship license.” The equivalent is a Limited Driving Permit (LDP) under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64, and the application itself is straightforward — one form, $25, one visit.
The hard part is eligibility. Georgia allows an LDP for only a specific list of suspensions, and most people who want one do not qualify. This guide starts there, because if you fall outside the list, nothing else on this page matters.
Which Suspensions Qualify
DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10 states that no limited driving permit may be issued except for the suspensions below:
| Your suspension | Eligible? |
|---|---|
| First or second points suspension | Yes |
| First DUI conviction within 5 years | Yes |
| First administrative licence suspension within 5 years | Yes |
| Suspension for excessive school absence, withdrawal, or misconduct | Yes |
| Suspension after a four-point speeding conviction (under-21 statute) | Yes |
| Drug, mental health, or veterans court participant | Yes, if the court authorises it |
Two points worth flagging, because they are commonly misunderstood.
A points suspension qualifies. If you hit 15 points in 24 months and lost your licence, you can apply — you do not need a DUI to be eligible. This is the most overlooked route to an LDP in Georgia.
A second points suspension also qualifies. The rule says “first or second,” so one prior points suspension does not automatically rule you out.
What Disqualifies You
A second DUI within five years. Under House Bill 407 (2013), a second DUI conviction within five years carries a minimum 18-month suspension, and the first 120 days are a hard suspension with no driving privileges whatsoever. After those 120 days you may become eligible to install a certified ignition interlock device and drive on an IID permit for 12 months. That is a different permit with a different application.
Refusing the breath, blood, or urine test. A refusal suspension carries a hard one-year suspension with no limited permit available, even where the underlying DUI would have qualified. This catches people who assume refusing was the safer choice.
Any other suspension running at the same time. Your record must be clear apart from the single qualifying suspension. If two convictions from one incident each carry a suspension, Georgia treats them as separate suspensions and you become ineligible.
Not holding a Georgia licence. If you are unlicensed or licensed in another state, you cannot get a Georgia LDP. An out-of-state driver would need to obtain a Georgia licence first.
Being under 21 with a DUI conviction. For DUI-based permits the statute requires you to be 21 or older at the time of conviction. Note this is narrower than a blanket age bar — the school-attendance and four-point speeding routes in the table above apply to younger drivers. If you are under 21 and suspended, confirm your specific route with DDS rather than assuming you are excluded.
What the Permit Lets You Do
An LDP is not a restricted version of your licence. It authorises travel for named purposes only, and those purposes are printed on the permit itself:
- Travel to and from work, and driving required as part of your job
- Attending school or an educational programme.
- Obtaining medical care or prescriptions.
- Travel to and from driver education, driver improvement, or DUI risk reduction programmes when ordered by the court that imposed the suspension.
- Attending court, reporting to a probation officer, or performing community service.
Anything else — the supermarket, a friend’s house, a weekend trip — is outside the permit and treated as driving on a suspended licence.
The Restrictions That Catch People Out
The permit costs $25, is nonrenewable once it expires, cannot be used to operate a commercial vehicle, and is valid only within Georgia.
The Georgia-only limit matters more than it sounds. Crossing into Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, or the Carolinas on an LDP puts you outside its authority entirely, because DDS has no power to grant driving privileges in another state.
A moving violation on the permit is serious. If you are convicted of a traffic offence while holding an LDP, the permit can be revoked and suspension time added. If you receive a ticket while on a permit, do not simply pay it — paying is a guilty plea, and the conviction lands on a record that is already under scrutiny.
How to Apply
You apply in person at a DDS Customer Service Center using Form DS-665A (Application for Limited Driving Permit).
The form requires you to swear that refusing the permit would cause extreme hardship, which DDS defines as an inability to reasonably obtain other transportation. This is a legal affirmation, not a formality.
Bring your suspension paperwork, proof of the qualifying conviction, and the $25 fee. If your licence was seized by law enforcement, you will need documented proof from the seizing agency, or a completed DS-250 affidavit if no surrender date appears in the system.
Before you go, check your reinstatement requirements — outstanding fees or an unresolved court matter will block the permit as surely as an ineligible suspension type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. First and second points suspensions are on the eligible list. Check your current point total first — if you are close to 15 but not there yet, a defensive driving course removing up to seven points may keep you licensed without needing a permit at all.
Yes, and not in your favour. A refusal suspension runs a hard year with no limited permit available. This applies even if the DUI charge itself is later reduced.
No. The permit is valid only inside Georgia.
Usually not, but it depends on why. A DUI-based permit requires the driver to be 21 or older. Suspensions tied to school attendance or a four-point speeding conviction fall under different provisions. Call DDS on (678) 413-8400 with the specific suspension reason rather than assuming. For how teen licensing works generally — and why under-18 drivers are suspended at just four points — see our guide to the Georgia provisional licence.
No. Limited driving permits are nonrenewable. When yours expires you either reinstate fully or you stop driving.
Conclusion
Work out your eligibility before anything else. If your suspension is a first or second points suspension, a first DUI within five years, or a first administrative suspension, you have a route — one form, $25, and an in-person visit. If it is a second DUI or a test refusal, you do not, and the only honest advice is to serve the hard suspension and prepare for the ignition interlock route.
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