DUI and License Suspensions
Posted Friday, July 19, 2019 by Andrew Charles Huff
A charge of Driving Under the Influence or even a simple traffic ticket can potentially put your driver’s license at risk if you don’t take proper action. The Department of Licensing (DOL) process is confusing and complex with hard deadlines.
You can face a possible license suspension over the following actions:
- Provide a breath alcohol level of .08 of higher
- Refuse the provide a breath test when offered
- Your blood draw that is above the legal limits for alcohol and/or THC
- Fail to take any action on a traffic ticket you received
Different Types of License Actions
A person’s license can be suspended by either the Department of Licensing (administrative) or by the courts as a result of a criminal conviction. If you are arrested for Driving Under the Influence and you do not request a hearing with the Department of Licensing, your license will be suspended automatically and you lose your right to challenge the action. A letter from DOL will be mailed to your last known address that will tell you when your suspension starts and when it finishes. Always make sure to correct any address changes by going to: dol.wa.gov.
You have a Right to Challenge a License Suspension with DOL
When you are arrested for DUI, you have a limited amount of time to request a formal hearing with DOL. The arresting officer should have given you a piece of paper that says, “Request for DUI Hearing”. If they did not, you can download this form from the Washington DOL website. You must complete your DOL DUI Hearing Request Form and mail it to the address on the form. This administrative hearing with DOL is a hearing that I handle for you as part of my representation. This is a telephone hearing that focuses on just four legal issues. The request for a hearing needs to be postmarked to DOL within seven days along with a fee of $375.
These issues can be very tricky and somewhat confusing since you are dealing with both a civil administrative hearing along with your criminal proceedings in court. Call my office anytime at 206-729-3477 to discuss your matter.
