How can drunk driving charges affect my license to drive?

Being charged with driving while intoxicated in Bowling Green, Kentucky, can have a serious effect on your lifestyle. Besides the fines and imprisonment that judges are authorized to impose if you are convicted of the charges, you can also lose your ability to operate a motor vehicle. If you drive a truck for a living, you could lose your ability to earn a living for up to a year because the state will take away your commercial license to drive.

A person convicted of a DUI charge faces fines up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, mandatory participation in a substance abuse program and suspension of his or her license to drive for at least 30 days. The license suspension can be for as long as 120 days within the discretion of the sentencing charge.

Subsequent DUI convictions within a five-year period may result in higher fines, longer jail sentences and a longer period without being able to drive your car. A second offense could subject you to a suspension of up to 18 months. A third conviction increases the suspension of your driver’s license to 36 months, and a fourth conviction could end with the loss of your license for up to five years.

A misdemeanor or felony conviction for DUI is not the only way for you to lose your license. State law requires that you take a breath test to measure your blood alcohol content level if requested to do so by police officer. A breath test refusal can lead to suspension of your license to drive for anywhere from 30 days to 60 months depending upon the number of times you have refused a breath test within a five-year period.

Losing your license can have serious consequences. As informative as this post might be, it cannot substitute for the legal advice and assistance of a criminal defense attorney when you are confronted with a drunk driving charge.