Suspension of your Driver's License

When you are arrested for a DUI, a police officer generally will take your license and hand you a pink sheet (a DC-27 form) that notifies you of an administrative suspension of your license.

You have 10 days from your arrest to request an administrative hearing if you want to challenge the suspension of your license. Even if you are found not-guilty of DUI, your license will still be suspended unless you request an administrative hearing and prevail. You should meet with a DUI Defense Team attorney before the 10 days are up so that you can decide whether to request a hearing. If you do not, you lose the opportunity to challenge the suspension of your license.

How long your license is suspended depends on whether you failed or refused a test, and whether you are over or under 21 years old. The suspension periods are as follows:

TEST FAILURE - BAC below .15
__ 30 days suspended / 330 restricted (1st occurrence)
__ 1 year suspension / 1 year restriction with interlock devise (2nd 4th occurrence)
__ Permanent revocation (5th occurrence)

**Beginning July 1, 2010, if you were suspended for a second occurrence and suspended for one year, after 45 days of suspension you may apply to DMV to get a license that is restricted for the remainder of the year to driving a vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock and only for the purposes of getting to and from work, school, or an alcohol treatment program.

TEST FAILURE - BAC above .15
__ 1 year suspension, plus one year restriction with ignition interlock devise (1st occurrence)
__ 1 year suspension, plus two years restriction with interlock devise (2nd occurrence)
__ 1 year suspension, plus two years restriction with interlock devise (2nd occurrence)
__ 1 year suspension, plus three years restriction with interlock devise (3rd occurrence)
__ 1 year suspension, plus four years restriction with interlock devise (4th occurrence)
__ Permanent revocation (5th occurrence)

TEST REFUSAL or conviction - Driver under 21
__ if BAC is below .15, 1 year suspension (first occurrence)
__ if BAC is .15 or higher, 1 year suspension, plus one year restriction with ignition interlock devise (first occurrence)
__ 2 year suspension (2nd occurrence)
__ 3 year suspension (3rd occurrence)
__ 10 year suspension (4th occurrence)
__ Permanent revocation (5th occurrence)

TEST REFUSAL or conviction
__ 1 year suspension, plus one year restriction with ignition interlock devise (1st occurrence)
__ 2 year suspension (2nd occurrence)
__ 3 year suspension (3rd occurrence)
__ 10 year suspension (4th occurrence)
__ Permanent revocation (5th occurrence)