How Will a DUI Impact My Driving Privileges?

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, you face even more than the threat of imprisonment. A Driving Under the Influence charge and conviction can carry severe consequences to your insurance prices, license validity, and driving privileges as well. It is important to understand the impact of a DUI on your ability to drive so you can seek legal remedies quickly and efficiently.

How Does a DUI Result in Suspension of Driving Privileges?

If you are arrested on suspicion of DUI, you will be asked to take a breathalyzer test. This is a difficult decision to make, since submitting a breathalyzer and refusing a breathalyzer both come with their own benefits and penalties. If you do take the breathalyzer and your results show a .08 percent or higher blood alcohol content (BAC), your license will be automatically suspended ten days later for a period of six months. If you refuse the breathalyzer, since your BAC cannot be officially determined, your license will be automatically suspended for one year.

Options For Fighting Your Suspended License

You only have ten days from the date of your DUI arrest or citation to take action to fight the suspension of your driver’s license. It is essential to seek legal counsel from a Tampa DWI attorney at this time to understand your options and choose the best strategy.

The first option is to obtain a hardship license by “waiving” your Formal Administrative Review Hearing. This requires a precise step-by-step process best supported by an attorney since you only get one opportunity to state your case. Any mistakes made by inexperience or accidental admissions of guilt can cause your license to be suspended for months or years.

It is also possible to challenge your driver’s license suspension and obtain a temporary driving permit by having your attorney petition for a DMV hearing to prove the suspension of your license is not valid. Taking this legal route places your license suspension in a state of “pending” for as long as 42 days while the DMV hears your case. Though you can only drive to work and school during this pending period, it is better than losing your license altogether! If your attorney successfully petitions the DMV, your license will be restored.

Handling Your Criminal Trial
A DUI case is actually two cases in one. You must endure the Administrative Law Case described above, but even if you successfully overturn your license suspension then, you risk losing it again during the Criminal Case portion of your charge. If you are a first time DUI offender, your attorney has a better chance of helping you avoid another suspension during criminal proceedings. However, if this is your second conviction, you should expect to serve out the entire period of your court-ordered suspension without any type of hardship license.

With the right legal representation, you can work to minimize the impact of a DUI on your driving rights and personal life.