Do You Lose Your License Immediately After a DUI in Washington State?

Being arrested for driving under the influence may have more immediate effects on your life than you anticipated. You might even temporarily lose your license before going to court to face DUI charges in Washington, unless you act quickly enough to schedule a hearing with the Department of Licensing (DOL), and that hearing goes in your favor.

Even if the DOL doesn’t immediately suspend your license because of a favorable hearing, the court might do so if the charges go to trial and you are convicted. A first-time DUI conviction may yield a 90-day license suspension, provided the driver’s alcohol concentration was above the legal limit of 0.08% but under 0.15%. You may lose your license for longer upon a second conviction or if your BAC was at least 0.15% or higher, though you may get an Ignition Interlock Driver License (IIL) and be able to drive under certain conditions.

For help with your case, call the Tacoma, WA DUI defense attorneys of the Law Offices of Smith & White at (253) 203-1645.

Do You Lose Your License Immediately After a DUI Arrest in Washington State?

If you are arrested for driving under the influence in Washington, you should have our lawyers request a hearing with the Department of Licensing within seven days. If you don’t, the DOL might suspend your license for 90 days to two years, depending on prior convictions and the details of the arrest.

That means you could temporarily lose your license after a DUI arrest without yet having a DUI conviction. To prevent this from happening, you can have our lawyers request a hearing with the DOL on your behalf. During the hearing, we can explain why you should keep your license despite a recent DUI arrest, like if you must be able to take your children to and from school.

If you don’t request a hearing with the DOL within seven days of a DUI arrest and the hearing doesn’t go in your favor, the suspension will begin 30 days from the date of your arrest.

Not only can the DOL revoke a driver’s license for anyone whose BAC is 0.08% or higher, but also for anyone who refuses a lawful breath test in violation of Washington’s implied consent laws.

How Long Can You Lose Your License After an Initial DUI Conviction?

Even if the DOL does not suspend your license following a DUI arrest, your license might still be suspended at the end of a trial for DUI charges if you are convicted of an offense that requires revocation. Even if this is your first arrest and conviction for a DUI, you might lose your license for far longer than you anticipated.

For their first-ever DUI conviction, or the first within seven years, the defendant in a DUI case may lose their license for up to 90 days and no less than two days if their BAC was less than 0.15%. If you have already served a 90-day suspension imposed by the DOL for a DUI arrest, that should be automatically credited toward the suspension time from a conviction.

If the defendant’s BAC was at least 0.15%, the court can suspend their license for up to a year, even if it is the first offense.

In addition to temporarily losing your license after a DUI conviction, you may face a short jail sentence or be subject to electronic home monitoring.

How Long Can You Lose Your License After a Subsequent DUI Conviction?

Facing a second or third DUI conviction means risking an even longer license suspension in Washington. If your BAC was less than 0.15% and you have one prior offense within the past seven years, you face a mandatory one-year license suspension upon conviction.

If your BAC was at least 0.15% and you have one prior offense within the past seven years, a second conviction risks a 900-day license suspension.

Two or more prior offenses within the past seven years for driving with a BAC of less than 0.15% come with a possible license suspension of three years, while having two or more prior convictions within the past seven years for driving with a BAC of at least 0.15% comes with a license suspension of four years.

How Soon Can You Reinstate Your License After a DUI in Washington State?

Generally speaking, you can only fully reinstate your license after serving the suspension period and paying all fees imposed by the judge. However, you may be able to obtain an Ignition Interlock Driver License, which will allow you to drive during the suspension period, albeit under monitoring.

You may not qualify for an IIL if you have an expired Washington driver’s license, there was a minor in your car at the time of the DUI arrest, or you are a “habitual traffic offender,” meaning you have been convicted of any three of the offenses listed under RCW 64.65.020 within the last five years.

You can apply for an IIL at any time after being convicted of a DUI and having your license suspended. You must install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle before applying for an IIL and send proof of its installation along with your application.

If the DOL approves your IIL application, you will receive a temporary IIL, followed by a permanent one, in the mail. Driving with an ignition interlock device in your car means you must provide a breath sample to start your vehicle and at random intervals while driving. If you don’t provide a sample or the ignition interlock device detects alcohol, your IIL might be revoked, and you may even face jail time.

Call Our Washington Attorneys After a DUI Arrest

For help with your case, call the Lakewood, WA DUI defense attorneys of the Law Offices of Smith & White today at (253) 203-1645.