To get a hardship license in Kansas, you apply to the Kansas Department of Revenue for modified driving privileges using the form that matches why your license was suspended. Approval lets you drive for specific purposes only, such as work, school, medical care, and court-ordered programs. It is not a full reinstatement, and for alcohol-related suspensions it comes with an ignition interlock device on your vehicle.
Pick the Right Application for Your Suspension
Kansas uses three different forms, and sending the wrong one will delay everything. Identify your suspension reason first, then pull the matching form from the Kansas Department of Revenue’s website.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Apply for Modified Driving Privileges
- Form DC-1015 is for alcohol-related suspensions and revocations, including DUI convictions and chemical test failures or refusals. This path has the strictest requirements and includes an ignition interlock device.
- Form DC-1020 is for suspensions caused by failure to comply with a traffic citation, such as missing a court date or not paying a ticket in time. There is no fee to apply once the suspension takes effect. You are disqualified if you have more than three driving-while-suspended convictions or your license is suspended for another reason as well.2Kansas Department of Revenue. Suspended Licenses and Driver Solutions
- Form DC-1018 is for habitual violator revocations, but only when the revocation rests on no more than three driving-while-suspended convictions. There is no application fee.2Kansas Department of Revenue. Suspended Licenses and Driver Solutions
The DC-1020 and DC-1018 processes are less involved. The rest of what follows focuses on the DC-1015 process, because that is the most common path and the one with the most requirements.
What You Can Drive For
A Kansas modified license is limited to specific approved purposes. Driving outside these categories is treated as driving on a suspended license.
- Getting to and from work, including driving required by your job duties.
- Attending classes at an accredited school or vocational training program.
- Getting yourself or a family member to a doctor, hospital, or medical appointment.
- Attending court-ordered alcohol or drug treatment, counseling, or other required programs.
That is the full list. Grocery runs, errands, and social trips are not covered.
Documents to Gather Before You Apply
Assemble the full packet before you submit anything. An incomplete application can sit for weeks before you learn it was rejected.
- The correct application form (DC-1015, DC-1020, or DC-1018), downloaded from the Kansas Department of Revenue.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Apply for Modified Driving Privileges
- An SR-22 certificate of insurance. Contact your insurer and ask them to file the SR-22 with the Kansas Department of Revenue. Insurers typically charge a one-time filing fee of $15 to $50 on top of your regular premium. After a DUI conviction you must keep the SR-22 in force for 12 consecutive months, and any lapse restarts the clock.
- Proof of your driving need. For work, a letter from your employer on company letterhead describing your schedule and duties. For school, a class schedule and registration. For medical needs, documentation from your provider.
- Proof that an approved ignition interlock device has been installed on your vehicle, if you are applying under DC-1015.
How to Submit the Application
You can apply online through the Kansas Department of Revenue Customer Service Center. Create a login first, then work through the portal.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Apply for Modified Driving Privileges
To apply by mail, send the complete packet to:
Driver Solutions
P.O. Box 12021
Topeka, KS 66601-20213Kansas Department of Revenue. Contact the Division of Vehicles Regarding Suspension or Revocation
The Department of Revenue will review the file, confirm eligibility, and mail you a decision. An approval notice will list the restrictions that apply to you. A denial will explain the reason. Do not drive until you have the approval in hand.
The Ignition Interlock Requirement for Alcohol Suspensions
For alcohol-related suspensions, you cannot drive during the mandatory suspension period at all. Once that period ends, you transition into the interlock-restricted phase, which is what most people mean when they talk about the hardship license. Kansas law requires an ignition interlock device on any vehicle you drive during the restriction.4Kansas Legislature. Kansas Code 8-1015 – Authorized Restrictions of Driving Privileges; Ignition Interlock Device The device connects to the ignition and requires a clean breath sample before the engine will start.
The Kansas Highway Patrol’s published schedule for first offenses looks like this:
- First DUI conviction or first chemical test failure: 30-day suspension, then a 6-month or 1-year interlock restriction, with a $200 reinstatement fee.
- First chemical test refusal with a court conviction: 1-year suspension, then a 2-year interlock restriction, with a $600 reinstatement fee.
You qualify for the shorter 6-month interlock only if your record shows no major convictions, no prior suspensions or revocations, and no accumulation of three or more moving violations within any 12-month period. Otherwise the interlock period is one year.5Kansas Highway Patrol. BAC .08-.1499 All Drivers
What Happens If You Drive Outside the Restrictions
Driving for anything not on the approved list is treated the same as driving on a fully suspended license, and the penalties escalate quickly.6Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-262 – Driving While Suspended or Revoked; Penalties
- A first conviction is a Class B nonperson misdemeanor with a minimum $100 fine.
- A second conviction is a Class A nonperson misdemeanor. If the underlying suspension was for anything other than a failure-to-comply traffic violation, you face at least 5 days in jail.
- A third or later conviction tied to a DUI-related suspension carries at least 90 days of confinement and a minimum $1,500 fine.
Every conviction also adds another 90 days to your suspension automatically. If the original suspension was DUI-related, probation and suspended sentences are off the table until you have served at least 90 days.
Commercial Driver’s License Holders
A CDL cannot be modified or restricted. When a CDL is suspended, revoked, or disqualified, the commercial license must be surrendered to the Division of Vehicles. If you are otherwise eligible, you can apply for a noncommercial driver’s license to use during the suspension period, but you cannot legally drive a commercial vehicle until your CDL is fully reinstated.7Kansas Legislature. Kansas Code 8-2142 – Suspension, Revocation, Cancellation or Disqualification of Commercial Driver’s License
Getting Your Full License Back
Completing your suspension and interlock periods does not automatically restore full driving privileges. You have to pay a reinstatement fee to the Department of Revenue: $200 for a first DUI conviction or test failure, $600 for a first test refusal conviction.5Kansas Highway Patrol. BAC .08-.1499 All Drivers
Your SR-22 must remain current the entire time. If your insurer cancels the SR-22 or lets it lapse before the required period ends, the Department of Revenue can re-suspend your license. Stay in contact with your insurance company and make payments on time. Plenty of drivers finish the suspension and interlock stages only to lose the license again over a missed insurance payment.