The Community Relicensing Unit is jointly operated by the City and County of Spokane and is designed to address the criminal justice system wide impacts of enforcement of the criminal traffic charge of Driving While License Suspended in the Third Degree (DWLS 3). Three staff persons, who are directly supervised by the City Prosecuting Attorney, operate the unit on a day-to-day basis.

Following is some information that will be helpful to all those interested in the Community Relicensing Project.

What is this program and what will it do for me?
The Community Relicensing Project, formerly the Restorative Justice Project, is again sponsoring a program for people currently Suspended Third Degree, for failing to pay traffic fines in the courts for the City and County of Spokane, Pend Oreille County, Lincoln County, Stevens County, City of Airway Heights, City of Deer Park, City of Cheney, Bremerton and/or City of Medical Lake. This cooperative program will provide several very important opportunities:

1. Opportunity to avoid prosecution and conviction on a pending DWLS 3° offense and related traffic infractions, if any;
2. Opportunity for you to work directly with members of the community toward the goal of becoming a licensed and insured driver in the State of Washington;
3. Opportunity to obtain a reduction of existing monetary obligations that are preventing a reinstatement of your driving privileges;
4. Opportunity to combine your existing Spokane County, Spokane City and participating jurisdiction traffic offense related fine payments into a manageable monthly amount; and
5. Opportunity to have the Spokane District, Spokane Municipal and other participating courts release the holds on your driving privileges based upon your successful progress in completing the program.

I am interested, but am I eligible for the program?
To be eligible for the program you must meet the following criteria:

1. You must resolve all outstanding warrants for your arrest, alcohol holds, child support holds and financial responsibility holds before you are eligible for the program.
2. The suspension of your driving privileges must be in the third degree and that suspension must be for unpaid fines, whether imposed by the court or based upon your failure to respond or appear;
   
   You may have only 1 pending (open with the court) DWLS 3. If you have multiple pending DWLS Third Degree charges, you must resolve all but 1 of the charges before you can be admitted to the program. You do not need a pending DWLS 3 charge to be eligible for the program. Having no pending DWLS 3 cases will greatly reduce the time it takes to reinstate your license in most cases.
   
   
3. All fines causing you to be suspended must be in the City and County of Spokane, Pend Oreille County, Lincoln County, Stevens County, City of Airway Heights, City of Deer Park, City of Cheney, Bremerton, and/or City of Medical Lake.
4. You cannot have previously participated in this program;
5. You cannot have been convicted of a "sex offense", "serious violent offense" or a "most serious offense" as they are defined in the Revised Code of Washington.
6. Your criminal history cannot demonstrate a pattern of felony, assault, drug and/or weapons charges.
7. If you have gang affiliations and have been convicted of any felonies, assault or weapons violations, you may not participate in the program.

This all sounds good, but what do I have to do to get the benefits offered by this program?
Come into our office at 909 W. Mallon (Spokane City Prosecuting Attorneys Office) Monday through Friday, during our regular business hours of hours 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and begin the relicensing process. Community Relicensing is closed on all holidays. We will determine if you are eligible, and if so, rank you into one of three tiers, based upon your traffic offense history and develop a plan for you to reinstate your driving privileges. If you accept the plan outline developed by the program staff, you pay a nonrefundable administrative fee of $100.00 and sign some documents to begin the process of resolving your status as a suspended driver. The program staff and / or volunteers will monitor your progress on your plan. As long as you fulfill your side of the plan, we will request your current DWLS 3° and related infractions, if any, be dismissed and will do everything we can to help you get your driving privileges back. Your success in this program will depend on your active participation. The total length of the program is up to 120 days. If you have already filled out the improcessing Matrix or are a return client you may call (509) 835-5951 or (509) 835-5936.