If you are seeking the restoration of your driving licence in Ireland, and wish to do so before the period of disqualification has been served, you will need to have been disqualified for more than two years.
PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER AT THE END OF THIS PAGE
The rules re getting your licence back have changed in the last few years.
This is why you may have seen solicitors asking Judges, when imposing disqualifications on their clients, for a disqualification of two years and a day as opposed to two years only.
District Court application
You can apply for the early restoration of your driving licence in the District Court once you have served 50% of the disqualification period.
It would be wise to instruct a solicitor to make the application for you as he will fill out the necessary forms and ascertain from the Gardai that there is no objection from the Garda Siochana.
If you are successful the Court may restore your licence, at best, when you have two thirds of the period spent, or 2 years, whichever is greater.
Stamp duty-€55- will be payable on your application, and you will have a solicitor’s fee if you choose to have a solicitor make the application for you. This would be strongly advisable.
Update in the law
There has been a change in the law in this area dealing with drivers who have been disqualified more than once in the last 10 years.
You can apply for the restoration of licence which arises from a disqualification which is your first in the last 10 years.
If it is your second disqualification in the last 10 years, you can still apply provided the previous disqualification was for 2 years or less. If the previous disqualification was for more than 2 years you cannot apply for the early restoration now.
When making his/her decision the Judge may hear some evidence as to the exact circumstances of the offence leading to the loss of licence and ask the Gardai about the conduct of the applicant after losing the licence.
The Judge may also ask the disqualified driver if he/she has learned his/her lesson.
UPDATE 2020-Disclaimer
Please note that this article was first written in 2012 and has not been updated since then. If this area of law concerns you go to a solicitor who deals with road traffic law to ensure you are advised of the up to date position.