“B” Card – Restricted Driver’s License Law in Minnesota

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A “B Card” is a “restricted driver’s license.”  The Commission of Public Safety is authorized by Minnesota Statutes Sec. 171.09 to issue such a license to a driver upon meeting certain conditions for reinstating driving privileges, after serial DWI or DUI violations. In most instances, a "B" card is authorized after three violations in a lifetime.

Based on the Department of Public Safety Rules, a person whose driver's license has been cancelled as inimical to public safety and who has complete chemical dependency treatment and rehabilitation may apply for a restricted driver's license, a B-Card, provided that the person signs a sworn statement to never again consume alcohol.  "Never" means just that. There can be no alcohol consumption for any reason, whether driving or not. It cannot be taken as part of medication or even as part of religious service.  This prohibits even small amounts of alcohol as would be consumed at holy communion with wine, in certain cough medicine, in low-alcohol “near-beer,” and so on.  The restriction is quite absolute and exact: when a person agrees to the condition of a B-Card license, he or she is informed that the license is immediately canceled at the moment he or she takes a single sip of alcohol or consumes any amount of an illicit drug.   The B-Card restriction on no alcohol used to be a lifetime restriction. However, new legislation passed in 2011 and effective June 1, 2011, allows for the removal of the B card if the person has had a license for the last ten years with no new alcohol related infractions or B card violations.

1. one year, for a person’s first rehabilitation;
2. three years, for the person’s second rehabilitation; and
3. six years, for the person’s third or subsequent rehabilitation.

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