How Long Do You Lose Your License After a DUI?

All sorts of bad things happen when police charge you with drunk driving — fines, probation, random testing --- but that’s not what worries a lot of the accused. They worry most about losing their license.

How long they lose it often depends on whether they take a breathalyzer test. Take it and fail and, in most cases, you lose your license, but only for 30 days. Refusing can have more dire consequences for your license.

You start with a six month suspension for the first time you refuse. If you’ve admitted to driving drunk in a previous case, that jumps to three years. From there it goes to five years, then a lifetime suspension.

It’s even more severe if you aren’t old enough to be drinking in the first place. Get charged for the first time with drunk driving when you’re under 21 and you get a three-year suspension for refusing a breathalyzer.

Of course by the time someone has been charged with driving drunk three times, the prospect of jail usually outweighs any concerns they may have about losing their license. And we can probably agree that it’s a not such a bad idea to keep repeat offenders off the road. They probably should refuse the test, lose their license and try to win in court.

It’s the first time offenders -- people who may have made one bad mistake they aren’t likely to make a second time -- who worry most about losing license. Often, there’s a job at stake, kids to pick up after soccer practice, groceries to buy.

For them, the question of whether to take a breathalyzer is toughest of all. Take it, and you may lose whatever defense you have. Refuse it, and lose your license for sure.