DUI Driver's License Suspension

If you are convicted of Driving Under the Influence in criminal court in Los Angeles, or anywhere in California, your drivers' license will be suspended.  How long it will be suspended will depend on a number of factors, such as whether you have had any previous DUI convictions and/or whether you refused to submit to a breath or blood test after you were arrested on suspicion of DUI.  If it is a first offense involving alcohol, and there is also a DMV administrative per se finding that you were driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, your license will be suspended for a minimum of 30 days.  You will then be eligible for a restricted driver's license.  If you are in Los Angeles County that means you will need to install an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) in your vehicle for a minimum of 5 months.  The IID is a breathalyzer that is placed in your car which you have to blow into before you can start it.  If it detects a measurable amount of alcohol the vehicle will not start.  Under current California DUI law, Los Angeles County is one of four California counties that are part of the "IID pilot program" which requires installation of an IID for first time offenders.  An IID is not required for a first offense in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, or any other Southern California counties.

For each subsequent DUI offense, in addition to the criminal penalties increasing, the drivers' license suspension, as well as the time you must keep an IID installed, gets longer and longer.  A DUI conviction resulting in an injury to a person, either a passenger in your own vehicle or persons in another vehicle, can result in a one year suspension with no restriction allowed during this time.  If you have been arrested for DUI, it is important to speak with an experienced DUI lawyer. Call Berglund Law Office, P.C. today or fill out the CONTACT form and our office will be in touch with you shortly.