Occupational License or Probationary License after a DUI?
Occupational License or Probationary License
If you’ve been convicted of Driving Under the Influence in the state of Pennsylvania and your driver’s license has been suspended, you have good cause to be concerned: a suspension leaves you unable to run errands, go to school or a physician’s appointment, drive your kids to their soccer games, or even to drive yourself to work. The state takes its responsibility to Pennsylvania’s drivers very seriously, and as a result, people with a DUI conviction under their belt are kept under a tight rein. There are two different types of licenses that can be issued if your license has been suspended, but the qualifying rules for both are extremely challenging. The two types of licenses that a driver convicted of DUI can apply for in Pennsylvania are the Probationary License and the Occupational Limited License.
The probationary license is only available for a non-commercial driver’s license and can only be issued once in a lifetime after a Pennsylvania driving license has been suspended or revoked for five or more years. When the reason for the suspension is a DUI conviction, eligibility for a probationary license does not begin until seven years have passed without you driving and maintaining a record free of driving offenses. Once issued the Probationary License is only good for one year, after which you can apply to renew it.
By contrast, the Occupational Limited License is only available after a DUI violation if the driver has been issued a 12-month suspension as a result of a first offense, and even then, it cannot be issued for another 60 days after the suspension has been served. If you have been issued an 18-month suspension following no more than one previous DUI offense within the past ten years, you are only qualified after having served 12 of the 18 months and have satisfied all restoration requirements. You will also need to have an ignition interlock installed on your vehicle. The Occupational Limited License is good for the length of your original suspension term, after which your regular driver’s license will be returned.
The best way to avoid having to get one of these provisional licenses is to avoid a DUI conviction in the first place. Contact our experienced DUI attorney to learn how we can help you defend yourself in the face of a DUI charge.