Getting convicted of a DWI charge can have a huge impact on your day to day life. In addition to fines, potential jail time, and a jump in your insurance rates, one of the biggest issues you’ll run into is the suspension of your license. Being without a vehicle makes your day to day activities like getting to work much more difficult, as you’ll have to rely on public transit or friends and family to get you around.
How long your license is suspended for often has to do with how many prior incidents your have on your record, and the severity of the DWI incident. DUI attorneys in Maryland like those at the Thompson Legal Group can help give you more details on your specific circumstances, but in general, there are a few average rules of thumb you can use.
If your blood alcohol content comes back between .08 and .15 and it is your first offense in 5 years, your license will be suspended for 90 days and you’ll have to use an ignition interlock system for the next 6 months after. Second offenses can have a suspension of up to 270 days and a full year of being required to use the ignition interlock system.
Those who refuse chemical testing are usually automatically given the 270-day suspension and require a full year of using the interlocking system. These suspensions can get longer depending on the number of prior offenses and can lead to a full three years of having to use the ignition interlocking system.
In order to have your license permanently revoked, you’ll need a blood alcohol content level of at least .15 and your actions resulted in a fatality. If it was your first offense you might get off with a one-year suspension, but anything more and it will be a permanent revocation.
If you have been convicted of or were fined for DWI, contact the DUI attorney in Maryland at Thompson Legal Group to go over your options for a defense.