If it's your first time getting charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, your license may be suspended for up to 180 days. However, having two DUIs in seven years can lead to the revocation of your license. This means that you won't be eligible for a driver's license, but you can schedule a hearing after one year. The requirements to get your license back following the suspension or revocation are demanding, which is why it's necessary to contact a DUI defense attorney. Here's how they can be of help.

1. Fight your license suspension over failure to take a breath test

If a police officer stops you and has probable cause that you're intoxicated, they may request you to take a breathalyzer test. You have a right not to submit to a breath test, but this can lead to the suspension of your license for one year. Therefore, if you lose driving privileges for failing to take a breath test, a DUI attorney can help fight for your loss of driving privileges. You could get your license back if the police officer lacked reasonable suspicion or probable cause during a traffic stop.

2. They'll prove whether your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) was below the legal limit

A DUI defense attorney can use a BAC defense if your blood alcohol levels were below the required limit but rose past the legal limit when the police officer administered the test. Your DUI attorney can prove that your BAC was within the legal limit by employing toxicology expert services to analyze your BAC test results and determine whether your BAC was rising or within the legal limit while at the time of the test.

This defense is effective when you didn't indicate signs of intoxication like slurred speech or swerving at the time of the arrest. An attorney can still use it when there's a delay between when a police officer pulled you over and when they took the test.

3. Fight your license suspension charge at a DMV hearing

When you have a DUI charge, the Department of Motor Vehicle may suspend your license even if your case is a misdemeanor. However, you are entitled to a DMV hearing after ten days following a DUI arrest to challenge your driver's license suspension. The services of a DUI attorney are necessary at the hearing because they might show that you had a condition that returned inaccurate BAC results or that the arresting officer was at fault. 

When you are charged with a DUI, you face many consequences like collateral penalties, fines, and incarceration, impacting different aspects of your life. With so much on the line, it's crucial to seek a DUI defense attorney.