Arizona DUI Arrest – What Happens if Your License is Suspended?

If you have been arrested for DUI in Arizona, you may be facing a variety of penalties.  What penalties you face will be dependent on different factors such as what your blood alcohol level registered as or what the results of a breathalyzer were.  Additionally, did you violate any other traffic/moving laws while driving under the influence?  Is this your first offense? Hiring an experienced attorney as soon as possible is very important in your DUI case.  At Alcock & Associates, we have extensive experience winning DUI cases, getting charges reduced, or getting them dismissed altogether.  But, it is important to understand that even if your DUI charges get dropped altogether your license could still be suspended.

You may be wondering how you could face any penalties at all if your DUI charges get dropped.  The reason for this is that, in Arizona, there are two components of a DUI charge – the criminal process and an administrating hearing with the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department.  So, even if your criminal charges are dismissed, you still have to deal with the Arizona MVD.  The last thing you want is to drive on a suspended license and potentially receive additional criminal charges so it is important to ensure you understand that time is sensitive and swift action is important.

Once you have been arrested for DUI, an officer will give you an Admin Per Se/Implied Consent form that notifies you that you need to request a hearing with the AZ MVD within 15 days of your arrest.  If you miss your deadline your license will be automatically suspended.  Don’t let a careless oversight lead to an unnecessary license suspension.  At Alcock & Associates, we have helped thousands of clients with their DUI cases and are happy to help you file the request for an administrative hearing as well.  While your license may still be suspended after your administrative hearing, having the hearing will allow your attorneys to interview all individuals including police officers about your case under oath.  If you win your administrative hearing there are two potential outcomes with your license.  First, if you win your administrative hearing but lose your DUI case you could still get your license suspended.  Second, if you win your administrative hearing and get your DUI case dismissed or win the case, your license will not be suspended.  License suspension lengths may vary from anywhere to 90 days to 1 year with various other terms applied.