What to do if Your License is Suspended After a DUI?
If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence in Pennsylvania, you face the very real possibility of having your driver’s license suspended. The state’s laws mandate automatic suspension upon conviction, without the benefit of a separate hearing in which you can argue your need to maintain your license. The lack of method to explain your circumstances (which many other states offer) makes it essential that you have the best possible DUI attorney fighting against your conviction on the charges: otherwise, your only option is to apply for what is known as an Occupational Limited License.
An Occupational Limited License, or OLL, can be issued to a driver whose license has been suspended under certain circumstances. It only permits driving for specific purposes pertaining to the driver’s ability to maintain their work, to seek medical treatment, or for educational purposes (school). For drivers whose license has been suspended as a result of a DUI, there are specific allowances and prohibitions for the OLL: it is only available if the DUI conviction was a first-time offense and in cases where a one-year suspension was imposed. If an 18-month suspension was imposed, a driver can apply for the OLL if they have no more than one prior DUI offense within the past ten years, have satisfied all the requirements imposed by the state and have served 12 months of the suspension, and have an ignition interlock installed in their vehicle.
The OLL cannot be issued to a driver convicted of a DUI until they have already served sixty days of their license suspension. In order to qualify, the first step needed is surrendering your license and paying all fines, costs and restoration fees. You will be notified within 20 days of the Department of Transportation receiving your petition whether or not you qualify, and if you do you will receive an OLL camera card so you can obtain the photo OLL. In certain circumstances, the Department of Transportation will issue an interim license if it is needed to allow for processing time between the surrender of a regular driver’s license and the processing of the OLL, which will be valid for the length of your suspension. After you’ve served your suspension’s full term, your regular driver’s license will be returned.
Though having an OLL provides a bit of flexibility following a DUI conviction, the better answer is to successfully defeat the DUI charges so that the suspension never takes place. Contact us today to talk to our experienced DUI attorneys and learn how we can help.