Will I lose my car or driving privileges?

• If you are convicted of a DUI offense, you certainly will lose your license for a minimum of six months; and depending on the number of prior convictions and alcohol level of your blood, breath, or urine tests, you could lose your license for life. After you lose it, you will be required to pay a reinstatement fee to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get your license back. Do not be mistaken in believing that if the officer or court failed to actually take your plastic license that you have the right to drive. The Bureau has a record of prior convictions and license status. If you are not valid with them, the possession of your plastic license does not make any difference. Even if your suspension time is up and you have not paid your reinstatement fees in full, you are still not valid to drive until the Bureau’s records are cleared.

• When you have been convicted of a prior DUI within six years of your arrest for the second DUI, you are subject to a provision that permits the court to impound your vehicle for 90 days even though you may get privileges to drive to and from work after 30 days. The legislature must have thought that putting the car in “jail” for 90 days would teach it not to drive drunk.

• On a third offense within 6 years, your vehicle is subject to forfeiture! That’s right, they will take your car when you have been convicted a third time.

• Driving privileges are at each court’s discretion, but the lengths of the suspensions are controlled by law and based upon the number of prior convictions. Some courts have policies on the amount of hours and days that they will grant work privileges. The privileges are often only to go to and from work, but some courts grant privileges for medical treatments, alcohol counseling, and to pick up children from daycare.

• A chart is contained in this web site that shows the number of days without privileges and the length of suspension both under the DUI conviction and under the Administrative License Suspension (ALS).