Guides / DUI license suspension
Two ways to lose your license after a DUI arrest
The Department of Licensing and the court act separately. One of them has a seven-day clock that starts the day you were cited.
1. DOL administrative suspension
Happens after the arrest, before any conviction
- Applies if your breath or blood test was .08 or above, or you refused testing.
- .08 or above: 90-day suspension.
- Refusal: 1-year suspension for a first offense.
- You have 7 days from the citation date to request a DOL hearing to contest it. The hearing is optional, but if you don't ask, the suspension simply happens.
2. Court-ordered suspension
Happens only if you are convicted
- BAC below .15: 90-day suspension for a first offense.
- BAC .15 or above: 1-year revocation for a first offense.
- Refusal: 2-year revocation for a first offense.
- Prior offenses increase these to 2, 3, 4 years and beyond.
The DOL hearing is the first fight and it comes before anything happens in court. Call me within the seven days and I'll request it for you.
What the hearing is for
At the DOL hearing a hearing officer looks at whether the stop was lawful, whether there were reasonable grounds to believe you were impaired, whether you were properly advised, and whether the test was valid. Winning it keeps your license; losing it still leaves you with an ignition interlock license option so you can keep driving to work.
Call (509) 630-3492 today. Let's protect your license, your record and your future.
General information, not legal advice. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours.