CDL DUI
CDL DUI
Atlanta DUI Lawyer
The stakes are higher for commercial drivers, because their job is on the line. Trucking companies can fire you if you are convicted of a DUI or your insurance rates might skyrocket. Do not let a DUI conviction stop you from earning a living. An arrest does not mean you are guilty of a DUI.
Commercial Driver’s License DUI
While it is true the legal limit in Georgia for drivers over 21 is a BAC of 0.08%, the legal limit for commercial drivers is a BAC of 0.04%. It doesn’t matter if you were driving a commercial vehicle at the time of the arrest or not. If you are arrested for a DUI, your CDL and your regular license could be suspended for one year [for a first DUI]. If this is your second DUI, your license can be suspended for life.
First DUI Penalties:
- $300-$1,000 fine plus any statutory charges
- 10 days to 12 months in jail (the judge may suspend all but 24 hours)
- Suspended license for up to one year
- $210 fee for license reinstatement
- DUI Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction program and all associated costs
- Minimum of 40 hours of community service
- Possible imprisonment of up to one year
- No limited driving permit allowed
Second DUI Penalties:
As measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained or pleas of nolo contendere were accepted to the date of the current arrest for which a conviction is obtained or a plea of nolo contendere is accepted, within the previous ten years
- $600-$1,000 fine plus any statutory charges
- 12 months active probation
- 90 days to 12 months in jail (the judge may suspend all but 72 hours)
- 12 months “hard suspension” (total loss of driving privileges for the first 12 months)
- 18 months mandatory suspension before eligible for probationary license. If it is a second conviction within five years, you can expect a three-year license suspension. Eligible for reinstatement at the end of the 18-month period (regular driver’s license).
- License reinstatement fee. Reinstatement is possible after 18 months if you have completed DUI school, the clinical evaluation, and the treatment program. As a condition of your license reinstatement, you must have an interlock ignition device installed in your vehicle for six months (regular driver’s license).
- DUI Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction program and all associated costs
- Minimum of 240 hours of community service
- Photograph in the newspaper with a $25 notice fee
- Possible imprisonment for up to 1 year
- Possible CDL lifetime suspension
- No limited driving permit allowed
- Surrender license plates