How to Get Your License Reinstated After a California DUI Conviction

How to Get Your License Reinstated After a California DUI Conviction

When it comes to driving while intoxicated, California is not a state to fool with. Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs carries serious consequences, including the possibility of prison time. If you are convicted, you will lose your driving privileges.

As a matter of fact, simply being arrested for DUI will result in an administrative suspension of your California driver’s license, which means that the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will automatically suspend your license unless you or your Riverside DUI defense attorney requests a hearing within 10 days and successfully challenges the suspension.

There are a variety of reasons why your California driver’s license may be suspended under state law. This includes getting a DUI conviction as well as refusing to submit to a blood or breath test after being caught for driving under the influence. The state of California has a provision known as “implied consent,” which means that if you are arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, you are basically agreeing to submit to a breath or blood sample.

You will not be eligible for a limited license during that period if you do not comply, and your license may be suspended by the DMV for one year if you do not comply. It is important to note that this only applies to breath and blood tests performed after you have been detained. In most cases, you are not compelled to submit to roadside breathalyzer testing, also known as preliminary alcohol screens (PAS), unless you are under the age of 21 or currently on DUI probation.

There Are Three Stages to Complete to Have Your License Reinstated

Once you have been convicted — whether via a plea bargain or a trial — the court will submit documentation of your conviction to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The DMV will then suspend your driving privileges for a certain length of time (for example, 6 months for a first offense). You will need to complete three stages before your driving privileges may be reinstated. These are as follows:

  1. Completing DUI School in line with your sentence is mandatory. In the case of a first-time DUI arrest, these programs are generally between 3 and 6 months long, depending on your degree of drunkenness at the time of arrest.
  2. File a Proof of Financial Responsibility with the Department of Motor Vehicles. In most cases, this is accomplished by the purchase of SR-22 insurance, which is a policy that is submitted to the DMV by your insurance provider; it is generally more expensive than other forms of insurance. Form REG 256, Statement of Facts, or Form REG 5085, Notification of Alternative Forms of Financial Responsibility, may also be used to document your situation.
  3. Pay the Department of Motor Vehicles a License Reissue Fee, which generally varies between $100 and $150.

Getting a DUI conviction may be extremely expensive, both in terms of the immediate sentence and the long-term consequences. This is why it is so important to work with an experienced attorney for your case. You can contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 to request a free legal consultation.

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