Department of Licensing and DUI
When you are arrested for a DUI in Tacoma or anywhere else in Washington, the arresting officer will notify the Department of Licensing. If you blew above the legal limit of .08 or refused the breath test, the Department of Licensing will attempt to suspend your license. You have a right to have an administrative hearing to challenge that suspension. An experience DUI attorney can help you win that hearing and save your license.
The suspension of your license by the department of licensing is completely different than your court case. First, your license will be suspended if you do not request a hearing within 20 days of your arrest. Even though you have a right to this hearing, you have to pay an administrative fee of $200 to have the hearing. If you don’t pay or don’t submit your request within 20 days, your license is suspended. Additionally, the Department of Licensing does not need to prove your are guilty of DUI to suspend your license. To suspend your license, the Department merely need prove 1)You were arrested, 2) The officer had reasonable grounds to believe you were driving and under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 3) The officer read your Implied Consent Warnings to you and 4) Your BAC was above .08 or your refused the test. Finally, unlike in court, there is no negotiating with the DOL. Either you win your hearing or you lose and your license is suspended.
The impact of a DUI suspension is incredibly harsh. If your BAC is above a .08 and you have never had a DUI suspension before, your license will be suspended for 90 days. If you refused the breath test and its you first DUI suspension, your license suspension for 1 year. If you’ve been suspended before for a DUI, you are looking at a minimum 2 year suspension. In addition to your license being suspended, to get your license back you need to get high risk SR-22 insurance.
Navigating the DOL process can be difficult without an experience DUI attorney helping you. If you or a loved one have been arrested for a DUI in Tacoma, don’t fight the DOL with the help of a knowledgable and aggressive DUI Attorney. Contact our office for help.