When Will I Get My Driver’s License Back After a DWI?

To learn from your mistakes, you may be willing to pay the full extent of consequences for driving while intoxicated (DWI). Namely, such consequences may entail getting your driver’s license temporarily suspended. Evidently, this may affect your ability to commute to work, fulfill domestic services for your family, and more. So you may be left to anxiously wonder when you will be allowed to get behind the wheel again, if ever. Continue reading to learn when you can get your driver’s license back and how a skilled Gloucester County DWI lawyer at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. can help you return to normalcy.

When can I get my driver’s license back after a DWI conviction?

The state of New Jersey holds zero tolerance for DWI offenses. Therefore, the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles (NJDMV) will undoubtedly suspend your driver’s license upon being notified of your conviction. It is also worth mentioning that the NJDMV will take the same action even if your conviction occurred outside of state borders.

Now, the extent of this suspension may be directly correlated to your prior history of DWI convictions, if you have any at all. More specific examples read as follows:

• First-offense DWI with a blood-alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08 percent to 0.10 percent: license suspension of three months.
• First-offense DWI with a BAC level of 0.10 percent or higher: license suspension of at least seven months.
• Second-offense DWI: license suspension of two years.
• Third-offense DWI: license suspension of 10 years.

When can I remove the ignition interlock device from my vehicle after a DWI conviction?

Of note, once the NJDMV reinstates your driver’s license, you may still have to pay additional consequences. That is, you may have to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in your vehicle.

Essentially, an IID is a small, handheld breathalyzer that you must blow into before starting or continuing to operate your vehicle. Meaning that your vehicle will not start if the device identifies even the slightest amount of drugs or alcohol in your system. Without further ado, you may have to have an IID installed in your vehicle for the following extents of time:

• First-offense DWI with a BAC level of 0.08 percent to 0.15 percent: an IID order may be made at the judge’s discretion.
• First-offense DWI with a BAC level of 0.15 percent or higher: an IID must be in your vehicle for seven months to one year.
• Second-offense DWI: an IID must be in your vehicle for one to three years.
• Third-offense DWI: an IID must be in your vehicle for one to three years.

Without a doubt, the next step you must take is to employ one of the experienced New Jersey criminal defense lawyers. So please get in touch with us at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. immediately.