Defending against drunk or impaired driving charges and protecting your driving privileges.
Driving under the influence (DUI) or while intoxicated (DWI) charges carry both criminal penalties and separate administrative consequences for your driver's license, which are decided by two different processes running on different timelines. Nearly every state uses a 0.08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as the legal limit for standard drivers, with lower thresholds for commercial drivers and drivers under 21, but how quickly you must act to protect your license — and the penalties for repeat offenses — vary by state.
Most states give a short window — often as little as 7 to 10 days — to request a hearing to contest an automatic license suspension after an arrest, separate from the criminal case.
Whether the stop was lawful and whether testing equipment was properly calibrated and administered are common points of legal challenge.
The criminal case proceeds through the standard court process and can result in fines, license actions, probation, or jail depending on the charge level and prior record.
Some jurisdictions offer alternatives for first-time offenders, such as DUI school or monitored sobriety programs, which can affect sentencing or eligibility for record relief.
Depending on the state and charge, a restricted or interlock-conditioned license may allow continued driving to work or school during a suspension.
Outcomes depend heavily on the evidence, testing accuracy, prior record, and the specific circumstances of the stop and arrest.
Under implied consent laws that exist in every state, refusing a chemical test typically triggers an automatic license suspension independent of — and often longer than — the suspension for a straightforward DUI, even if you are never convicted of the underlying charge.
In most states a first DUI is a misdemeanor, but it can be charged as a felony if it involves injury, a fatality, a sufficiently high BAC, or a certain number of prior offenses, depending on state law.
This depends on whether you request and win an administrative hearing, and whether the state offers a restricted or hardship license during a suspension period — the rules differ significantly by state.
Yes, a DUI conviction is generally a matter of public record and will appear on standard background checks unless and until it becomes eligible for and is granted expungement or record-sealing under state law.
Even first offenses carry consequences for your license, insurance rates, and criminal record, and there are often technical and procedural defenses available; most people benefit from at least a consultation before entering a plea.
Select your state for deadlines, fault rules, court information, and a full walkthrough specific to where you live.
Compensation for physical, emotional, and financial harm caused by another party's negligence.
Recovering damages after a motor vehicle collision, from fender-benders to catastrophic crashes.
Ending a marriage and resolving property, support, and parenting arrangements that follow.
Establishing legal and physical custody, visitation, and parenting time arrangements.