(a) To whom issued.

(1) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of Code Section 40-5-57 or 40-5-63 or any other Code section of this chapter, any person who has not been previously convicted or adjudicated delinquent for a violation of Code Section 40-6-391 within five years, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained or pleas of nolo contendere were accepted to the date of the current arrest for which a conviction is obtained or a plea of nolo contendere is accepted, may apply for a limited driving permit when and only when that person's driver's license has been suspended in accordance with paragraph (2) of subsection (a.1) of Code Section 40-5-22, subsection (d) of Code Section 40-5-57, paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-5-63, or paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-5-67.2.

(2) Any person whose driver's license has been suspended and who is subject to a court order for installation and use of an ignition interlock device as a condition of probation pursuant to the provisions Article 7 of Chapter 8 of Title 42 may apply for a limited driving permit.

(b) Application form. Applications for limited driving permits shall be made upon such forms as the commissioner may prescribe. Such forms shall require such information as is necessary for the department to determine the need for such permit. All applications shall be signed by the applicant before a person authorized to administer oaths.

(c) Standards for approval. The department shall issue a limited driving permit if the application indicates that refusal to issue such permit would cause extreme hardship to the applicant. Except as otherwise provided by subsection (c.1) of this Code section, for the purposes of this Code section, "extreme hardship" means that the applicant cannot reasonably obtain other transportation, and therefore the applicant would be prohibited from:

(1) Going to his or her place of employment or performing the normal duties of his or her occupation;

(2) Receiving scheduled medical care or obtaining prescription drugs;

(3) Attending a college or school at which he or she is regularly enrolled as a student;

(4) Attending regularly scheduled sessions or meetings of support organizations for persons who have addiction or abuse problems related to alcohol or other drugs, which organizations are recognized by the commissioner; or

(5) Attending under court order any driver education or improvement school or alcohol or drug program or course approved by the court which entered the judgment of conviction resulting in suspension of his or her driver's license or by the commissioner.

(c.1) Exception to standards for approval. The provisions of paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5) of subsection (c) of this Code section shall not apply and shall not be considered for purposes of granting a limited driving permit or imposing conditions thereon under this Code section in the case of a driver's license suspension under paragraph (2) of subsection (a.1) of Code Section 40-5-22.

(d) Conditions attached. A limited driving permit shall be endorsed with such conditions as the commissioner deems necessary to ensure that such permit will be used by the permittee only to avoid the conditions of extreme hardship. Such conditions may include the following restrictions:

(1) Specific places between which the permittee may be allowed to operate a motor vehicle;

(2) Routes to be followed by the permittee;

(3) Times of travel;

(4) The specific vehicles which the permittee may operate;

(4.1) The installation and use of an ignition interlock device in accordance with Article 7 of Chapter 8 of Title 42; and

(5) Such other restrictions as the department may require.

(e) Duration of permit. A permit issued pursuant to this Code section shall be $25.00 and shall be nonrenewable and shall become invalid upon the driver's eighteenth birthday in the case of a suspension under paragraph (2) of subsection (a.1) of Code Section 40-5-22, upon the expiration of one year following the effective date of suspension of the applicant's driver's license in the case of a suspension for an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54 or a suspension under Code Section 40-5-57, upon the expiration of 120 days following conviction in the case of a suspension in accordance with paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-5-63 for a violation of Code Section 40-6-391, upon the expiration of 30 days in the case of an administrative license suspension in accordance with paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-5-67.2, or upon the expiration of six months following proof of installation of an ignition interlock device in the case of a limited driving permit issued to a person subject to a court order for installation and use of such a device pursuant to Article 7 of Chapter 8 of Title 42; except that such limited driving permit shall expire upon any earlier reinstatement of the driver's license. A person convicted of such offense whose driver's license had been surrendered to the court in which such conviction was adjudged may apply to the department for a limited driving permit immediately following such conviction. Upon the applicant's execution of an affidavit attesting to such facts and to the fact that the court had not imposed a suspension or revocation of his or her driver's license or driving privileges inconsistent with the driving privileges to be conferred by the limited driving permit applied for, the department may issue such person a limited driving permit. A person convicted of such offense whose driver's license had not been surrendered to such court immediately following such conviction may apply to the department for a permit. Upon the applicant's surrender to the department of his or her driver's license and the execution of a similar affidavit, or if the driver's license has been lost, upon execution of an additional affidavit to that effect, the department may issue such person a limited driving permit. (f) Liability of issuing officer. No official or employee of the department shall be criminally or civilly liable or subject to being held in contempt of court for issuing a limited driving permit in reliance on the truth of the affidavits required by this Code section.

(g) Revocation of permit.

(1)(A) Any permittee who is convicted of violating any state law or local ordinance relating to the movement of vehicles or any permittee who is convicted of violating the conditions endorsed on his or her permit shall have his or her permit revoked by the department. Any court in which such conviction is had shall require the permittee to surrender the permit to the court, and the court shall forward it to the department within ten days after the conviction, with a copy of the conviction.

(B) Upon receipt of notice from the Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse of the Department of Human Resources that a permittee who is required to complete a substance abuse treatment program pursuant to Code Section 40-5-63.1 enrolled in but failed to attend or complete such program as scheduled, the department shall revoke such person's limited driving permit and, by regular mail to his or her last known address, notify such person of such revocation. Such notice of revocation shall inform the person of the grounds for and effective date of the revocation and of the right to review. The notice of revocation shall be deemed received three days after mailing.

(2) Any person whose limited driving permit has been revoked shall not be eligible to apply for a driver's license until six months from the date such permit was surrendered to the department. In any case of revocation of a limited driving permit pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the department may impose an additional period of suspension for the conviction upon which revocation of the permit was based.

(h) Hearings. Any person whose permit has been revoked or who has been refused a permit by the department may make a request in writing for a hearing to be provided by the department. Such hearing shall be provided by the department within 30 days after the receipt of such request and shall follow the procedures required by Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act." Appeal from such hearing shall be in accordance with said chapter.

(i) Rules and regulations. The commissioner may promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement this Code section.

(j) Penalty. Any permittee who operates a motor vehicle in violation of any condition specified on the permit shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.