If you are arrested for DWI/DUI, your license will be revoked. The length of the revocation depends upon factors such as your blood-alcohol concentration at the time of your arrest, whether you have prior impaired driving convictions or revocations, whether you had children under the age of 16 in the vehicle at the time of your arrest, and whether any injuries occurred as a result of your impaired-driving conduct.
For most first-time offenders with a blood-alcohol concentration of below 0.16, the length of your revocation is 90 days. During the 90-day period, you will have three options. The first option is to simply not drive. This is not an ideal option for many.
The second option is to obtain a limited license. A limited license allows you to drive for work purposes, for educational purposes, or for treatment purposes. The major downside of a limited license is that you cannot drive at all for the first 15 days of the revocation period and, thereafter, you are limited to driving for the three purposes stated above.
The final option is to have an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle. The ignition interlock device is the size of a hand-held calculator and includes a blowing tube. It prevents a vehicle from starting if it detects the presence of alcohol after you blow into the tube. The benefit of ignition interlock is that you will have full driving privileges so long as the device is installed. The biggest downside is the cost–ignition interlock generally includes an installation fee as well as a monthly service fee.
If you have prior impaired-driving convictions or if aggravating factors are present during a first offense (such as a blood-alcohol concentration above 0.16), ignition interlock is the only option that will allow you to drive during the revocation period.
These options are not perfect, and it is important to remember that you have a right to challenge your license revocation in court. If you win, your driving privileges will be reinstated. Because you have a right to judicial review, you are well served by contacting an attorney right away. Your attorney can look through your police file and determine whether there is a basis to get your driving privileges reinstated.
Grant Borgen of Bird, Stevens & Borgen, P.C. has fought license revocations in court and won. Give him a call today for a free consultation.
