[Sawyer]

I once had my license suspended due to my TransAm failing emissions because I never tested it. (It was in storage for 5 years, and I submitted the paperwork for show/car exhibition car insurance which exempts the car from emissions testing.

Long story short, they never processed the paperwork. I had filled out the paperwork, had my insurance agent sign off on it, dropped it off at the EPA testing station. The EPA agent signed off on the paper work sent the originals in, and gave me copies with all the valid signatures.

3 years later I got pulled over for a minor speeding violation in my daily driver a 99 Kia Sephia, I was doing 75mph in a 65mph zone as we pulled into the Davenport IA area going back home to Chicago, IL. Thinking nothing of it, it was only 10 over on a 3 lane highway with no civilization in sight I was a little shocked when the officer told me my license was suspended, and had been for 2 years!

For 3 years I was driving on an invalid license. Thankfully I had a friend with me on the road trip, he drove home. The officer let me keep my license since it was an out of state offense, gave me a ticket for 75 in a 65, and a ticket for driving on a suspended license. I paid the 75 in a 65 ticket, but fought the suspension ticket.

I'm grateful now that I documented all the paper work. I fought the state of IL, and the EPA for nearly 6 months to get my license re-instated. Despite me having followed ALL of their requirements. I spoke with my insurance agent and we went back to when the paperwork was submitted and got all of the insurance bills showing it was paid up, and insured as a showcar vehicle. Most of the time spent was waiting for the horrible state agencies to actually acknowledge that my license had been suspended without cause.

During the 6 months my license was suspended I continued to drive. I had no way to get to work during that timeframe. So I had to drive.

After 6 months I got the suspension finally expunged from my record as if it never existed. However, I was still fighting the Iowa ticket for driving on a suspended license. They wanted a proof that it shouldn't have been suspended from the state. Finally the prosecutor was forced to drop the case as IL was not responding to ANY inquiries from Iowa. They ruled in my favor since i had all of my other insurance paperwork. The state of IL failed to make the case.

So 3.5yrs without a license. Even though I dotted all my i's and crossed all my t's the state still screwed me over. I hate IL. Hate the DMV, SOS, and EPA with a passion because they are just that slow an inept at everything. Now when I submit the paperwork for my insurance to exempt me from testing I follow up 1 month later. The very first time I had to check they did not even have the paperwork yet again. I called up the EPA and had some strong words, mentioned the names of everyone at the EPA testing center who signed off on my paperwork and faxed them the signed copies of my paperwork. That took nearly a month to sort out, though thankfully my license was never in being suspended becuase I still had several months before i was required to test.


A recent law has removed all testing equipment for cars built before 1996. So now my car is just exempt period. I was never so happy as when that law passed.