Driving privileges can be the first thing to go after a driving under the influence (DUI) arrest. Your ability to drive depends on how you handle your arrest and whether you are convicted of DUI. Read on and find out what to expect and how to fight against a conviction.

Your License Is Suspended

The department of motor vehicles in your state will learn of the DUI arrest almost immediately. They will act to suspend your license pending the outcome of your case. That occurs right away, in most cases. You may be able to drive while you await your court date, however.

Get a Lawyer

It's vital that you speak to a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible after you are released from jail. They can begin to work on your case and help you cope with plea bargain offers. Plea bargains can present defendants with a good deal, but not all of them are equal. Your lawyer can help you by examining the evidence the state has against you. The more they have, the less attractive the plea bargain offer will be. However, what might at first appear to be good evidence in a DUI case could turn out to be weak. That is your lawyer's job—to test the evidence and get your charges dropped or reduced. In the meantime, you need to drive places.

Get a Hardship License

This type of license, known by various names, allows those arrested for DUI to drive to certain places at certain times. The license restricts the defendant's driving to work, school, the grocery store, medical appointments, and so on. If the defendant is caught driving to other places or during restricted times and days, they could be arrested again.

Gaining a hardship license is not easy, and that is another reason why you need a lawyer on your side. They can explain to the judge why a hardship license is so important for you. For example, you might need to take your child to school or take a loved one to the grocery store. Keeping a job while awaiting your case results is also important. If the judge approves you for a hardship license, it might come with the requirement for an ignition interlock device. That device, an in-car breathalyzer, requires you to blow into it to start your car.

The path to getting your full driving privileges depends on your lawyer and the circumstances of your case. Make the right moves and you can move past this arrest for a better future.

Contact a DUI attorney for more information. 

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