What to Do When Charged With a DUI in Florida
and/or 5 years imprisonment) or if habitual/violent felony offender.
Driver’s License Revocation Periods for DUI in Florida
At the end of the First Conviction: Minimum 180 days revocation, maximum 1 year.
Second Conviction Within 5 Years: Minimum 5 years revocation. May be eligible for hardship reinstatement after 1 year. Other 2nd offenders same as “A” above.
Third Conviction Within 10 Years: Minimum 10 years revocation. May be eligible for hardship reinstatement after 2 years. Other 3rd offenders same as “A” above. one conviction more than 10 years prior and one within 5 years, same as “B” above.
Fourth Conviction, Regardless of When Prior Convictions Occurred) and Murder with Motor Vehicle: Mandatory permanent revocation. No hardship reinstatement.
Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV) Alcohol-Related Convictions or Disqualifications
Persons convicted of driving a commercial motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .04 or above or refusing to submit to a test to determine the alcohol concentration while driving a commercial motor vehicle, driving a commercial motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance, or driving a commercial motor vehicle while in possession of a controlled substance shall be disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle for a period of 1 year. Second or subsequent conviction of any of the above offenses arising out of separate incidents will result in a permanent disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle. There are no provisions for persons disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle to obtain a hardship (business or employment) license to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
DUI School Requirements in Florida
First Conviction:
Must complete the mandated tenure the DUI school before the hardship reinstatement could take place. Individuals who wait out the revocation period before reinstatement need only show proof of enrollment or completion to become re-licensed.
If an individual enrolls and is reinstated after the revocation period expires, failure to complete the DUI school within 90 days after reinstatement will result in license cancellation. The driver cannot then be re-licensed until the DUI school tenure is completed.
Second Conviction in 5 Years (5-Year Revocation) or Third Conviction in 10 Years (10-Year Revocation):
Customers must complete their DUI school tenure following a conviction.
D. Keith Kilpatrick is the head of Kilpatrick Law Firm, which provides a full range of legal services in Florida’s Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties including Navarre, Pensacola and Destin. The law firm specializes in criminal law including DUI cases, family law, bankruptcy law, real estate law, and personal injury. Call (850)939-7722 for more information or visit http://www.kilpatricklawfirm.com/.