Florida Drunk Driving Lawyer:
How Long will You Lose Your License?
Everyone who is arrested and then convicted of drunk driving in Florida is subject to losing their driver's license. For how long you will be without driving privileges, will depend on a number of factors, including how many convictions you have on your record, your blood alcohol limit (BAL) at the time of your arrest, who is with you when you are arrested and whether there were additional crimes committed at the time. Having a good Florida drunk driving lawyer can benefit you not only by helping to guide you through the legal process but by helping you find ways to minimize the amount of time that you will be without your license.
To begin with, your license can be suspended even before you appear in court if you refuse to submit to a breath/urine test when asked to do so. Even if you know that you will fail it, you must submit to the testing or face the suspension of your license. The suspension will be for a period of one year, beginning on the date of your actual arrest for a first offense, 18 months for additional offenses. (For a first offense the driver can serve 90 days of the suspension and then apply for what is known as a hardship license. This is not an option after the first time. Further, to apply for the hardship license, you must apply for DUI school and pay a total of $150 (more if you had failed to show proof of insurance at the time of the arrest).
Your driver's license can be suspended for six months for your first offense and for a full year thereafter. Again, you may apply for a hardship license as described above. In addition to the cost of having your license reinstated, a Florida dui and criminal defense lawyer may also explain to you that you will possibly face having an ignition interlock installed on your car, at your own expense. The cost for this device is about $240 (slightly less) initially and $68 per month for monitoring.
In addition to losing your driver's license, you may face having your vehicle impounded, which can technically occur even if it is not your own car. The length of impoundment may last anywhere from ten days to 90 days depending on the number of previous convictions on your record.