How a DUI Affects Your Driving Record

When it comes to DUI laws, Arizona is one of the toughest states in the union. If you are wondering how a DUI affects your driving record, Phoenix, AZ area DUI defense attorney James E. Novak can assure you that the consequences are dire, at best. This is why he has devoted his professional life to fighting for the rights of people who are facing DUI charges and whose basic freedoms are under attack as a result.

If you have been charged with DUI, it is imperative that you understand your legal rights and options, and that you have a skilled legal representative in your corner. You need to know precisely how a DUI can affect your future driving record, as well as how you can minimize or even altogether avoid such consequences. It all begins with a case evaluation by one of the state’s most highly respected DUI defense attorneys, James E. Novak.

How a DUI Affects Your Driving Record in the Short Term

The Arizona Motor Vehicles Department may suspend a driver’s license for up to twelve months when a person amasses eight or more points on his or her driving record. Eight points are immediately given for DUI violations.

If you are convicted of a DUI, your driver’s license will be suspended for a minimum of 90 days, and may be revoked for up to three years, depending on the circumstances surrounding your case:

• First-time DUI (with BAC between .08 and .149): 90-day suspension, with work permit possible at 30 days
• First-time Extreme DUI (BAC between .15 and .199): 90-day suspension, with work permit possible at 30 days
• First-time Super Extreme DUI (BAC of .20 or higher): 90-day suspension, with work permit possible at 30 days
• Second-time DUI within 60 months of first DUI: 1-year revocation
• Second-time Extreme DUI within 60 months of first DUI: 1-year revocation
• Second-time Super Extreme DUI within 60 months of first DUI: 1-year revocation
• Third-time DUI offense within seven years: 3-year revocation
• Aggravated DUI: 3-year revocation

How a DUI Affects Your Driving Record in the Long Term

Even after your driver’s license is reinstated, a DUI conviction will continue to haunt you. You will automatically have four points added to your Arizona auto insurance rates. These will remain on your record for three years, indicating that you are a high-risk driver compared to someone who has never been convicted of a DUI. Finding insurance will be difficult; you will almost certainly have to pay hundreds of dollars more per year than you would have if you had never been convicted of a DUI.

Hiring an experienced DUI defense attorney such as James E. Novak can save you frustration and money in both the short term and the long run.

Arrange for an Evaluation of Your Case

To arrange for an evaluation of your DUI case, or to learn more about how a DUI can affect your driving record, please contact The Law Office of James E. Novak today.